The Boy, The Fang and The Gun
by ArowaRimu
Summary: Hi, my name is Amato Zanna, Boss of the Zanna Famiglia. Things are finally slowing down, but there's this static in the air, building up. Things are quiet, maybe a little too quiet. Like the calm before the storm. Whatever comes, the Zanna Famiglia stands ready, and I'll do everything in my power to make sure everyone's safe. No one will be mourning by the time the storm subsides!
1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

**Pleased to meet you all. My name is Arowa. Have you ever felt how boring our everyday lives is? I did. This story is born from the random thoughts I have in my free time, whether if it was on the train, walking home, or during work. I hope you guys enjoy the story, and if you do or don't please tell me why in your reviews.**

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**Chapter 0: Prologue**

**Venice, Italy.**

The day started like any other. The bright sunlight gave birth to the burst of life throughout the streets. Soon after, the streets were filled with chatter and laughter, the waters refracting the sunlight into a multitude of colors. I got up as I always do, jumping out of my plain, single bed. The huge bedroom still feels a bit intimidating. It was still partly empty even after I brought in my stuff. My eyes scanning across the wide space, I wonder if I will ever get used to living here.

Walking towards the balcony, I stopped to take a huge breath, and admired the magnificent view of the city. The myriad of design of the buildings was complemented by the canals flowing through them. The waters and the people come together to form an ecosystem unlike anything, truly the most beautiful city in the world. Taking in another huge breath, I yelled out as a smile erupted from my face.

"GOOD MORNING, WORLD!"

Knock, Knock.

"Ahem, pardon me, sir, but, please refrain from yelling, it may disturb the neighborhood. Oh, and may I know if you're ready, sir?" A dignified and refined voice came through the door.

Oh right, school.

"Give me five more minutes, Kiera." I give my reply. Confirmation that it was acknowledged came with the sound of footsteps fading away.

Walking back in, I began preparations. Brushing my teeth, I stare into the mirror. The reflection was of a young teenager, his brown hair wild and unkempt, its ends resembling spikes. As he pushed his fringe aside, a pair of baby blue eyes appeared. His mouth opened, revealing a pair of small, sharpened tooth at each side of his upper set of teeth. Putting on my usual attire, a white T-shirt, a black overshirt with its sleeves scrunched up to my elbows and black pants, I opened the door and made my way towards the dining table.

Well, up until now, the story may seem to be one of a normal teenaged boy, albeit a bit on the rich side.

...oh how I wish it was so...

Well, listen on. It's not that difficult to understand...

As my steps take me down the two-storey tall staircase, I walked with beads of sweat slowly flowing down my forehead. I never enjoyed situations like this. In front of me, in a straight, uniformed line leading to the dining table, was a group of people. Not just any ordinary people, they wore suits, ties and all those accessories you see people wear during formal occasions. Most of them were of my age, teenaged boys and girls. Behind them stood the adults. They stood there, silent. The stuff in their hands however, was anything but ordinary. I can see machineguns, pistols, shotguns, grenades, longswords, katanas, sniper rifles, tonfas, bo staffs and brass knuckles. As I strode past them, they stood upright in attention, never making a sound, never speaking a word.

When I took my seat at the table, they made their way to my side, still as quiet as ever, their expressions ever serious. Then I took one look at the spread of food on the table and I accidentally spilled out my thoughts.

"Hey, this is way too much for me. I can't finish this on my own. C'mon, everyone dig in!" I declared with a smile on my face.

...

I think I felt a cold breeze blew against me, even though I am in-doors.

"Uh.. Right.. Sorry.." I bet someone out there is laughing at how I am acting right now. The mansion, with its white interior and ancient designs carved into the walls didn't help with the situation at all. I ended up eating alone, the silence almost suffocating me. The only sound that can be heard from the dining area was the crunch of toast as my teeth sunk in.

That was when the sound of footsteps, in gentle rhythm, reached my ears. A silouette showed the outline of a french maid uniform, revealing a girl who looked to be about the same age as me when she came to light.

Her blonde hair as pristine as ever, her sides swayed gracefully while most of it was bundled up in braids. She moved with dignity and poise. Her eyes closed with her mouth in a passive line.

What was her name again?

Oh, right. Kiera De Luca.

You don't know how surprised I was when they said that she was to be my caretaker. A girl, who was younger than me, was to be my...servant. To cater to my every need. After a few weeks however, I realized it wasn't so bad. In fact, she's quite good at it.

She never smiled at me yet, though.

"Lord Amato, have you decided...?" She asked, sounding a little worried for just a split second there.

"..No." I replied, with a tone unlike before, as if my joy was completely drained in the matter of seconds.

"Please my Lord, you cannot run from this forever..." Kiera declared, trying to hold back her tone as much as possible before handing me a few pieces of paper. They look like newspaper cut outs, detailing the recent news. "The Mafia world is stirring, the Vongola Succession has started. With it, Mafia activities is sure to rise. Be it here, or anywhere else." Kiera calmly recited, taking a seat on the right side of the table. "I do not understand it, my Lord. You are capable. You are ready. Why do you keep turning it down?" With every word she said, she kept her eyes closed, only occasionally opening them to glance my reactions.

Vongola.

Dad told me that it was the strongest, largest Famiglia in the world, and it holds the most power. I wonder if Dad ever fought against them in the past? I remember how he told me that he knows the Mafia world is cruel and tough, but he always goes back to it. Still, whenever he came home, he would always have that smile on his face. I guess I'll never know now...

"The disappearance of your father; the boss of the Zanna Famiglia, five years ago has drastically reduced our numbers as well as our alliances to the Mafia world. As of right now, this famiglia stands on the verge of annihilation. Some famiglias have even begun attacks to claim our resources." Kiera recited, her eyes now scanning through the various documents she held in her hands.

"Of course, we must also consider the fact that your Father.."

"Stop. Stop it." I interrupted her midway. I don't know if it was by reflex, or if deep down I wanted to do it. I just didn't want to hear it. That's normal, right?

I felt drained after that, and slowly made my way towards the front door. As my eyes looked towards my Famiglia, I could see some them injured. Some have bandages all over them, while others have their limbs in casts. I could only shut my eyes.

"One more day. Give me one more day to think about it." I declared to my Famiglia, as I pushed open the two doors leading towards the grand halls, making my way out the mansion.

My name is Amato Zanna. I am the tenth generation candidate for the position of 'Boss' for the Zanna Famiglia.

In other words, I am Zanna Decimo, and my story is about to begin...

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**Just to clarify, this takes place at around the first few chapters of Reborn! Because of this, the story will take place parallel with the adventures Tsuna and his friend goes through. Please review!**


	2. The Man With Bushido!

**Author's Note:**

**You guys still here? Great! You know, when you compare the dangerous situations Tsuna and his Guardians encounter, and how they felt about them, they seem to be having it easy. Well, I believe being in the Mafia should be alot more difficult and painful for any individual, and I hope to show that in the chapters of this story. I hope you guys enjoy this chapter as well!**

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**Chapter 1: The Man With Bushido!**

As I walked down the bustled stone streets of Venice, I tried to keep my head high with a smile on my face, but was ultimately unable to do so whenever the thoughts of my Famiglia came up. It was morning, and the markets of Venice was full of people shopping for the items they need. The sounds of their frantic actions were calmed only by the gentle swaying of the waves hitting the sides of the canals.

"Zanna Decimo, huh? Mafia boss of the Zanna Famiglia." I mumbled to myself amidst the crowded streets. I guess I was really distracted. I mean, I have no objections to taking up the position, but I remember how Dad mentioned the risks and dangers that came with it. "Dad..." I whispered out without much thought. It's... it's unfair.. I.. can't even remember exactly how he looks like anymore...

As I tried to reminisce about the memories I have of my Father, I find myself holding up the tear-shaped pendant hanging around my neck. It was a simple pendant, shaped like a single tear-drop or a drop of morning dew. Bone-white in color, it sparkled as I held it in front of me, sunlight passing through its translucent body. Suddenly, a certain memory burst forth in my mind, pulling and immersing me in a flashback.

It was the time when Dad first showed me that pendant.

_My Dad and I were sitting in an open field. It was night-time already, and the __chirping of crickets had us surrounded__. I was about four years old back then, and.. and Mom recently died in an accident. I guess I was too young to understand the concept of death. I ran around the fields, happy that it was so cooling compared to daytime. _

_"Hey, Amato. Come here for a sec." I heard a voice calling me, __and trotted my way towards the source__. The man that was my Father sat quietly, staring __up into__ stars. I __may not have__noticed __it, but I think Dad was actually crying__ at the time__. As I sat down beside Dad, he wiped away his tears, and forced a smile on his face._

_"Look, son." Dad whispered, as he raised the pendant he has always worn around his neck, his face obscured due to the fuzziness of my memories. "This is the pendant that brought Mom and me together." He said so forcing a happy tone to his voice. "I was really happy that a family heirloom brought us together back then." He continued with a laugh, thinking back to the past as he turned to look to the sky._

_"Remember, protect your loved ones, because they can never be replaced." He said so as he patted my head._

_"Even if it would cost you your life."_

_The memory then fast-forward to the point where I received news that Dad had disappeared. They say that it was a battle, one which all the members participated were killed. In the battlefield full of blood and strewn weapons, was the pendant. Untouched by the horrors of war and death. But, Dad was nowhere to be seen. Kiera then handed me the family heirloom, saying that it was mine now. She did not say a word back then, but I know she was upset too._

Suddenly, I'm pulled back abruptly into the present! I couldn't grasp exactly what was happening as a burst of adrenaline forced my legs to leap to the sides! Unfortunately, there stood a couple of teenagers, so I found myself crashing into the lot of them. I turned only to see a sniper bullet lodged deep into the ground at the point where I was heading! Though it was smoking, the bullet shot was no louder than the wind!

What the heck?! A bullet! Aimed at me?! Before I could finish my thoughts however, I was interrupted by another source.

"Hey kid! You're gonna regret tackling us!" It was then that I realized that I actually knocked some of the teenagers off their feet, most of them now pulling themselves up from the ground. "It seems somebody has a death-wish, huh?!" One of them roared, bringing his fists together. A mixture of snorts, laughter and yelling snapped me back to the current situation.

Darn. Didn't plan that out so well.

"Hey guys.. No need to start throwing punches, right?" I gave out with an apologetic look, raising my two hands in a sort of surrender position.

As I observed their looks and attires, they seemed about my age. Their faces however, were nothing similar. There were piercings here and there, and I could even spot tattoos on their body. Heck, they look more like they belonged to the Mafia than I do!

"A smart-ass, huh?!" Another one of them shouted, before charging and knocking me down to the ground with a thud.

"Ugh!" was the only response I gave out. Actually, it didn't hurt at all.

Should I retaliate? Hmm, but doing so may severely injure them. Always abide by the code, that's the way of the Zanna Famiglia. And the code is: never harm an innocent. Now that I think about it, them hitting me is definitely not innocent.

"That's it, get 'im!" Another guy shouted, signaling the start of the attack. Like a pack of lions following the alpha-male, they moved as soon as his words ended.

Oh boy.

"Thwack! Crack! Bam!"

As I opened my eyes and moved my elbows away from my face, I saw that which was to be expected, I guess. In front of me stood a single guy with neat, dark green hair, pulled back and spiked at their ends. He was in a stance reminding me of a character from a video-game. His position strong and proud. His expression stout and tough. He wore a regular red shirt, unbuttoned over his white A-shirt. Wristbands over each of his wrists. One by one, the delinquents lunged at him only to have their blows countered and they themselves thrown.

"By the code of the Bushido, I will not allow this to continue!" The guy declared so with such strength and fervor, I could have sworn I saw the hooligans flinch.

Me? I sat there, a smile drawing a cross my face. No, he's no stranger. In fact, he's my best friend. Although known to the streets as one of the toughest fighters in Venice, you'll find that no one is afraid of him. At least, not the ones who knows him. One of the few people with a mixed heritage of half-Italian, half-Japanese, his name is...

Sergio Endoh. The man with the Bushido spirit.

Throughout the frackus, Sergio's eyes hardly opened, and his actions can be compared to those slow, calming exercises the elderly do every morning. The thought would immediately be rectified when you hear the sound of bodies beating against the stone pavement though. In a few minutes, the group was either too embarrassed, tired, or injured to continue. They ended up leaving with only as much as a groan or too.

"What were you thinking?!" Sergio reprimanded me as we reached the school gates, only to receive my confused look. "Don't give me that, I saw you suddenly jumping and ramming against them!" He continued, closing his eyes and shaking his head from side to side.

"I was trying to catch a fly?" I slowly gave out the excuse as I walked through the gates. Well, I can't tell him what really happened, can I?

But, just where did that bullet come from?

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**Well, we've reached the end of another chapter. Was it good? I hope I conveyed the emotions well enough. Please review and give your thoughts on the story!**


	3. The Idol Of The School!

**Author's Note:**

**Still no reviews, huh? I'm starting to wonder if Reborn! Fans actually read this fanfic everytime I update... Oh well. For the rest of you that do, you'll be happy to know that I plan to write my stories to coincide with each of the arcs of Kateikyoushi Hitman Reborn! That means it'll be a long story... Enjoy!**

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**Chapter Two: The Idol Of The School!**

Class started like any other. A monotonous period of words, sentences, lectures and writing. The teacher is generally strict and uninteresting, and thus garners no extra attention from the students. I don't think I actually have to say what happens during class, right? The teacher teaches, and we, as students, listen and take down notes. Almost every lesson follows this chain of actions and generally it is okay. Although, there has been a few days where I find it extremely hard to fight off the boredom of some of the classes.

And, as with every school, the interesting stuff always takes place after class. Homeroom just finished, and everyone else was either having lunch or preparing for the afternoon classes.

Right in the middle of the classroom she sat. If one was to take a good look, he or she would have probably noticed that more than half the class was either talking to the girl, listening to her, or just hanging with her. Her emerald green eyes would shine and glow like the flash of life one see present from the forests. She has hair flowing down to her back, so lush and dark, it added mystique and grace to her figure.

Her name is Regina Conti.

Yes, she is beautiful. Probably why she's the idol of the school. Boys from every class would fawn over her, willing to do whatever she asks. The girls, because of her kindness, has never displayed any ill content towards her. Yet. Sergio says that she has a half-heritage too, half-Italian, half-Japanese.

I..think I like her. She is cute, definitely, but, everytime I see her it feels different from other girls. I would feel nervous, happy, excited, jittery, all that stuff. I do not know. All attempts at talking to her has ended with me running away from the situation. Every once in a while, I see her smiling my way, but, it is probably aimed at someone else. Sigh, I guess I can only look on from afar..

"So, when are you actually gonna go talk to her?" Sergio gave out as his right hand tapped my shoulders and brought me back to reality. "She has the same crush on you, I did tell you this already, right?" Sergio continued his usual speech, his looks calling me a coward for not having the courage.

"I can't..." I stammered, my voice slowly going soft. I.. don't know. I think I'll just wait and see where these feelings will take me. So, the rest of the lunch break was just us going on and on about this, until the next teacher walked in.

Apparently Sergio is a pretty good friend of hers. You can imagine how mad I was when he didn't tell me about this. When I actually brought up the courage to tell him how I felt, he started laughing. Then, he tried to play cupid to get us together, most of which did not go so well. Nothing really bad happened, but, the experience really shook me up good. Something bad always seems to happen when I am with Regina.

Well, the rest of the day was just school and more school. Nothing interesting happened, that is, until after school.

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The sky was tinted in a blend of yellow and orange as I walked out of the school with Sergio. It was a cloudy evening, with the sky filled with puffs and puffs of gray clouds, floating around seemlessly. Most of the students had already gone home because we stayed back to help out the teacher. The reason was because according to Sergio and his Bushido code, helping people is a virtue, dragging me along as well. And thus, we find ourselves going home two hours late... Damn.

"Why did I stayed back to help again?" I ask, rubbing my shoulders, tired from carrying so many stacks of papers as I walked towards the gates.

"It wasn't that bad..." was the reply I got from Sergio as he followed behind me, smiling. That of which was followed by a smack to his head.

That was when I saw her. Her hair swaying with the breath of the wind. Her eyes concerned over her thoughts. Regina stood by the gates, looking as though she was waiting for someone. I stood there stunned until I heard her voice calling.

"Hey!" She called out, waving her left hand with a beaming smile. "Over here!" She continued.

I was so surprised I was speechless. Why was the idol of the school waiting for us, alone?

"Hi.. Regina.." I gave out meekly. Did I blush? I hope not. Surprisingly, she gave back her response similarly.

"Hi.. Amato.." She greeted, almost as if it was a whisper, her smile soft and gentle with her cheeks slightly blushing. Is this a dream? I can't believe this is actually happening! My thoughts must have flowed onto my face, as a smile drew wide across it.

That was when I heard Sergio gave out a chuckle.

That alone made me pull him away from the group for a little 'private' talk.

"Sergio!" I yelled in my 'soft' voice.

"Ha ha, hey, I thought you would be happier! Sorry, I can't watch you suffer emotionally everyday any much longer." He says so, giving me a thumbs-up as well as a 'go get her' look on his face. "Anyways, you can't let her go home alone now, can you." He gave out, looking at the setting sun.

He is right, it is getting dark..

"C'mon.. Let's go!" Regina cried out as she begin running towards the residential restrict, grabbing my right hand. Sergio was calmly following us with his footsteps, with a satisfied look on his face.

"Wa-Wait! Regina!" I called out as I was forced along, not to say that I didn't want it or anything, it was just too surprising.

"Just call me Gina!" was the only words that came out of her before she hastened her steps, almost as if she's excited about something. All the while, she had this smile unlike anything I have ever seen. It was a smile of pure joy and happiness. I think.

Back then, I was happy, but, I did not know. I did not know that it was going to be an evening I would never forget. One which would force me to make the decision. One which would force me to accept the title of Zanna Decimo. One which would force me down the road of the Mafia, with no choice of going back...

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**Um, is the lack of any actual fighting boring you guys? If that is the case, please don't fret! The fighting will come soon enough, I promise. Please, as always, give your thoughts and review!**


	4. A Fated Encounter

**Author's Note:**

**Sorry for the late update, usually I try to update with a new chapter every Friday but I fell sick last week. Thing's are getting interesting in this chapter! I don't want to spoil anything so that the only thing I'll say!**

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**Chapter 3: A Fated Encounter.**

I'm... not quite sure what happened. It's been two hours since we left school. The sea of orange that was the sky had already been replaced by an ocean of stars and shadow, with the moon bearing down on us. I walked with my hands supporting my head, their posture resembling that of one takes when he is lying down. We somehow entered the Shopping District, its night enchanted by the sounds and light of Bazaars and the shops that remained open after dark. As the three of us walked down the street leading to the Residential District, Gina would sometime draw us into the shops to do some window-shopping.

"Hey Amato, how do I look?" Gina asked as she tried on a pink floral hat that, in my opinion, is a bit on the frilly side. She looked really cute.

"It looks.. nice." I said, trying hard to not ruin that smile on my face to nervousness. Gina's reaction changed to one of surprise then to anger complete with blushing cheeks before turning away to look at more clothes.

Suddenly, I was given a quick, sharp, shove into my ribs. It came from Sergio. "Don't you know the right way to complimenting girls!" He whispered.

"Ow!" was the only response I could squeeze out. What, there's a 'right' way? My confused look is only met with him giving out a loud sigh.

"I can see why all those set-ups before failed..." Sergio whined as if all hope is lost.

"What?" I asked again, my voice dragging on, before giving it up as we walked on.

"What do you mean I can't buy it?" A sharp female voice suddenly boomed from behind me, it had a strong but child-like tone to it.

"Please child, if you want to buy something, come back here with your parents and I'm sure to sell it to you." The shopkeeper explains in an apologetic tone, albeit calm. Huh, I turned around, but I cannot seem to locate where that other voice came from...

"I want that Espresso! And I'm not a child!" The voice screams out once again, like a kid who screams for her toy. I almost felt like I went deaf for a second there. I did, however, realize that the voice is actually coming from below my eye level, which was weird cause I consider myself pretty short.

Looking down, I caught eye to a strange sight. In front of me, stood a short girl, well, shorter than me that is, in white robes with orange linings. Her hair was lush and dark, and she had a peculiar mark under her left-eye. Well, that's not important. What was important, was that she was angry, and it was causing quite a scene. Since I was standing so close to her, the eyes of the public naturally turned and stared at me.

"Where's her parents?" Some auntie in front of a store not far from the commotion questioned.

"Is that guy her brother?" A few others decided.

"She can't have coffee, she's just a kid!" A pair of adults agreed.

I think I hear the crowd chanting already, gotta do something.

"Uh, I'll buy it... I'll buy it for her, kind sir." I reluctantly tell the shopkeeper as I handed him a few euro coins. "Right, uh... let's just... go somewhere to sit.." I mumbled as I led the girl away from the crowd with me. It felt really strange, and she gave no resistance, even though I'm a complete stranger. I think she is just too distracted by the coffee.

I find myself wondering in the darkness as I close my eyes and assess what has happened. After the incident, I turned back to the store and found out that Gina and Sergio walked off. I can't believe it. I wonder where did they go? The park I brought the stranger into was a block away from the bazaars and maybe because of how crowded the Shopping District was, the park was devoid of people.

"Ugh.. I can't understand why uncle-Reborn likes this so much..." A familiar voice whined and pulled me back.

Oh, right. I opened my eyes to see the sight of myself and the girl sitting on the bench in the empty park. The cold wind blowing agaisnt my skin is enough to make me run straight home. I guess it has gotten quite late already. But, I cannot leave this girl alone, right? I will need to get her home first.

"Um.. Thanks for helping me out back there..." The girl gave out in a soft tone, avoiding my eyes with blushing cheeks. Suddenly I felt all fuzzy inside. She looks upset though, maybe angry, annoyed?

"Ha, you're welcome. Where are my manners, my name is Amato, Amato Zanna. Oh, what was that about you not being a child back at the store?" I ask automatically after feeling a bit relaxed because of her reactions. "And what's with that pacifier around your neck?" I continued as I observe said object. A peculiar-looking object, even for a pacifier. It was orange like the setting sun, and had glow that almost suggest a mysterious power. And, it was big.

The girl looked concerned for a split second here, before giving out a sigh and looking determined.

"My name is Aria. I am actually..." As the words dragged slow, her cheeks slowly blushed. "Nineteen."

What?

...

"You're nineteen?" I shouted out. No way. I am only fourteen years-old. She is kidding right?

"I'm surprised you didn't laugh..." She tells me with an uninterested tone.

"How can I? I'm too surprised!" I explained. Well, it is hard to swallow...

"And..." She continued, her voice rising in volume, that got my attention back. "This is the proof of the boss of the Arcobaleno." She declared, as if proud of her title and position.

Arcobaleno... "Rainbow..." I muttered as my thoughts wander. Where have I heard this before?

Ka-Chik.

It was then that I felt it. This primal emotion that has existed ever since we humans have came to feel. One which forces us to survive and evolve, to adapt and change. I felt fear. As the cold metal barrel came into contact with the back of my head, all thought and action froze save for one: Survive. I do not actually know how long the whole thing happened for but it felt like an eternity. It certainly was not like anything that happened this morning. Although, it does remind me of the bullet I dodged. Another thought began surfacing across my mind, constantly nagging for me to fulfill it: I must get Aria out of here!

I got to no time for planning, the hit-man gave no request, so he must be planning to kill me. Before I know it, I turn to the sides to throw a roundhouse kick at him, aiming for his vital areas, specifically his stomach. At times like this, I am glad I have a black-belt in Tae-Kwon-Do. Well, I try not to use those skills unless really necessary. As expected, he was no thug, as he effortlessly jumped to the sides with speed and, dare I say it, grace. A quick glance at his face shows a suave-looking guy in a suit. Mafia, no doubt, with blond hair and a serious-look in his eyes. His hair was pulled back, in a very neat fashion, reminding me of Sergio's hairstyle.

As I recovered from the strike, I threw my body to place a shield in-between the guy and Aria. I couldn't stop to catch her reaction to what was happening but I don't suspect it's a pleasant one.

"Run, Aria! Get away from here!" I yelled, as loud as I can. A quick turn to check on her revealed a very unexpected look of surprise on her face.

Then, the words that came out of her was a shock to me indeed.

"Gamma, you can stop it with the drama now." She ordered, her child-like tone completely vanished. Even more confusing was that the hitman followed her orders, lowering his gun as soon as he heard the words. What exactly is happening here?

"Wait, Wha- He- Hey, Huh?" I blabbered out of control. Could you blame me? My life as well as hers could have been taken just a split second ago!

"Hmph." The guy called Gamma replied to me together with the stink eye, that alone was able to make me shut up. Upon a closer look, he seemed younger than I thought, about twenty years old? As he made his way towards Aria, he took one of her hands and knelled before her, surprising me again.

"My lady, I apologize for my actions, but I could not take the risk." He exclaimed apologetically. Well, let's just say Aria surprised me even more.

"You idiot!" She roared as she smacked Gamma in the head. "You don't go pointing guns at people when he 'might' be a danger! You looked like you would've pulled the trigger back then!" Aria continued, occasionally signaling an apology towards me. Gamma unexpectedly was thrown off-guard, and showed emotions on his face for the first time since he arrived. He looked surprised, then embarrassed as he looked at me, as if hit by realization, before returning to his emotionless visage.

"I would have." Gamma replied nonchalantly. His stone-cold look makes me believe that he would have. Scary.

"We need to go." He announced shortly, still holding Aria's hands and helping her up. A true gentleman, if he is anything else. As they walked down the streets, Aria looked back to wave her goodbye.

"Bye, Amato!" She gave out as they disappeared into the between the blocks. She looked happy. Good. I guess that must her guardian or something. It definitely looked like it was someone she was close to.

A few minutes later, I got back with Sergio and Gina as I finally found them after scouring the Shopping District. I wasn't surprised that they hadn't gone home yet. In the end, due to Sergio's constant nagging and pushing. I.. bought a hat for Gina. Coupled with that Espresso, I used up all the allowance I have for this week. Well, it was sorta worth it to see Gina's smile when I got it for her. When all was done, we decided that it was time to go home. That was when I remember the curfew Kiera set for me. I had to be home by Nine, and it was already Ten.

Darn. It.

Behind the dark alleys of the streets of the District however, a group of people had gathered. One of them had a hood over his head. The robe was of a soft grayish-purple color with golden lining, embroidered with designs of clouds and wings. Standing with him or her was Aria and Gamma with a few other guys in suits.

"How is he, Boss of the Arcobaleno?" A familiar voice came from the hood, sounding concerned.

"He is a worm." Gamma replied almost immediately.

"Gamma!" Aria immediately cut him off, her eyes telling him that she had it for his actions today. "He helped me out, and protected me when I was but a stranger to him." Aria explains in a gentle and caring tone. "He would make a fine Boss." She declared, almost happily.

Suddenly, Aria's eyes turned to one of sadness.

"But, he will have a long and painful path should he take up the title..." And with those last words, Aria and Gamma bid their goodbyes and made their way into the limousines parked on the road close to them, with the guys in suits following their steps. As the limousines drove off, the hooded figure was left alone. The figure stood motionless for a few seconds before murmuring but a word...

"Amato..."

Suddenly, as if sensing something, the hooded figure dashed off into the shadows...

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**Huh? Uh, well that's it for this chapter! Did you guys enjoy the cameo appearances? If you do, or don't, please tell it straight to my face in your reviews!**


	5. Awakened

**Author's Note:**

**Right, the action starts in this chapter, and I hope it is conveyed well enough to draw in the readers' attention. Not much else to say...**

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**Chapter 4: Awakened.**

As the three of us walked down the now-empty streets, we chatted and laughed about our everyday lives. Sergio would do the least talking while Gina would hum out some of her favorite music in a soft, gentle tone. Once in a while, Gina would fidget the bag with the hat I bought her, with a smile on her face. I wonder why? Strangely, the streets had become so quiet that you can even hear the breath of the wind itself. The pale lights still shining around the area makes it feel like the town has been deserted.

It was almost as if the people had a reason to stay out of the streets.

The hustle and bustle of the Shopping District disappeared in a flash before any of us could realize it. Something feels... wrong.

"I think.. we should get home. Now." I uttered, and, judging from Sergio and Gina's reactions, I have to say they agree. I just hope this is not what I think it is.

Unknowing to us, a hooded figure walks towards us a few blocks away, staying out of our sight. His posture is one without compromise. As he walked, he reveals a katana from his robes, with a blade as black and dark as the abyss. Dragging the blade across the floor as he moved closer to us. The hood shifts back slightly to reveal a smile on his face.

The emptiness of the streets was really creeping us out. It was just barely past ten, there was no reason why Venice is reduced to such a ghost town. Our footsteps went from slow steps to brisk-walking in a matter of seconds. The only sound heard was the sound of our foot knocking on the ground with each step, resonating across the streets as loud as any drum beat. Each valley's shadows seems to curl and turn towards us, raring to sink their claws into our flesh. Well, it just felt that way.

Halfway through the whole thing, what I did not realize was that Gina was holding my hand as we moved.

We slowed down as we noticed that we were already in the Residential District, Gina's house should be a few blocks away. Huh, maybe it was all just my imagination...

"Ha.. Ha, it looks like.. we made it." I said so with a tone of relief.

"Yeah." Sergio replied, still walking behind us. That was when Gina and I realized we were holding hands, and quickly pulled our hands apart.

"S-Sorry." I gave out with blushing cheeks.

"Uh.. I-It's okay.." Gina replied with a similar reaction.

After that, there was this awkward moment of silence when neither us spoke, only Sergio was left standing behind us with a smile on his face.

Thmp. Thmp. Thmp.

The steps came as suddenly as it is. The fact that it was not my own brought it to my attention. Sergio and Gina must not have realized it as I cannot see a change in their reaction. I think I could also hear a faint sound of metal and stone. It sounded like someone dragging a piece of metal against a stony surface.

That was when the hooded figure approached us. He made no effort to conceal his presence, yet, I feel like he did not need to.

He looked to the skies and the sides, his eyes indistinguishable and shrouded by the shadows of the hood. It was if he was looking for confirmation, or permission. All I could see when I turned to that direction for a quick glance was the edges of rooftops as well as the dark sky itself.

What was he loo- "Chink!" The sound rang in my ears as soon as I dodged the blade and it hit against the stone-floor. With such force that it created a dent. A dent! Through solid stone!

"Whoa!" was the only response I could give out as I leaped back by instinct, falling and rolling on the ground. As I turned my head up and got to my feet, I came face-first to the figure holding out a jet-black katana to my face. I could not see what was happening to Gina and Sergio, but they should be fine, I should be his only target.

"Amato!" I hear Gina calling, her voice that of one confused and afraid.

"Keep your heads up, watch out!" Sergio commanded, as the figure threw another slash in my direction.

"Ka-Chink!" Another slash rang across the streets. I tried to dodge it again, jumping towards Sergio and Gina. This time I was not so lucky. I did not manage to dodge the slash completely, and its blade grazed my left shin. The cut, in the form of a fang, started to bleed and the sharp pain appeared in my left leg.

"Stop!" I called out to the figure. I know it is mostly useless, that the Mafia take their jobs very seriously, but I must try. Unexpectedly, the figure stopped in its advances, giving me enough time to limp to my friends.

"Listen, get out of here while you still can. I'll take care of this." I called out, occasionally giving out grunts as the pain throbbed.

"But, Amato! You're injured!" Gina called out. I am surprised this chain of events has not shocked her to tears yet.

"We can't just leave you here! And what did you mean you'll take care of this?" Sergio yelled out, his tone partly angry, partly concerned, tearing a piece of cloth from his sleeve to tie around my shin and close my wound. Sigh, fine.

"All right, just stay here and be safe." I give them my alternative. "And Sergio," I called out as I turn back to face the figure.

"Take care of Gina."

"Ha ha ha ha.." Suddenly, as it was the most random thing to happen, laughter came from the hooded figure. "HA HA HA HA HA HA!" His ghastly laugh continues, his hood dropping down in his fits, revealing shaggy white hair and a pair of red eyes. He is Albino? "Aw, this is rich! So much drama! It almost makes me not want to kill you!" His voice making a mockery of the situation, of our lives. Yet, his actions is both ruthless and precise.

"Sorry kid, Venice is too good of a location not to have, and it's wasted on that weak and run-down excuse for a famiglia of yours!" That said, this time he lunged at me, charging and swinging his katana, aiming to slash my body, specifically, my chest.

There is no time to lose, and certainly no time to think this through. I immediately readied my stance to throw a back thrust with my right leg, aiming for his chest instead, hoping to knock his strike off trajectory. This was not part of the regular Tae-Kwon-Do maneuvers, so I had little practice for this kick. I could feel my heart beating in anticipation on whether it would connect.

"Thwack!" Yes!

Out of nowhere, I feel a hand grabbing my leg and then I felt my vision tilt and fall. In truth, my kick did connect, but it was not strong enough to knock him down. He grabbed my leg and threw me instead. I fell to the stony ground once again, with a loud 'thud'.

"Argh." I gave out, my body a bit numb from the impact.

"What are you doing kid?" His voice had a cynical attitude to it. His face was of one who is uninterested in this whole thing. He walked slowly towards me. I find it difficult to get up to my feet. "I heard that you had potential and have yet to take up your title, but this is ridiculous. What, you think with strength like that you could beat me?" He explained loudly.

Huff, puff. So this is Mafia, huh? Crazy strength, out-of-this-world reflexes. Sounds about right.

"And if by some miracle you stopped me today, you think this would stop?" He cried out with a smile, almost as if screaming to the world. "Didn't you see what happened to your members? Your death would mean a release for them! Their lives would be safe!" He cried some more as he picked me up, and held me by my collar.

What if he is right? Maybe it is better for me to die, it is definitely better for my famiglia... I looked into his eyes with mine of confusion. My hands had stopped struggling as my mind comes to a conflict.

Elsewhere, another hooded figure was running towards us, only to be stopped by two girls that appeared out of nowhere. They are dressed in the suits Mafia would wear. Their pink hair and mask almost a trademark. Instantly the hooded figure knew who they were.

"Get out of my way, Cervello." A calm and familiar voice shout out from the hood, with a hint of concern.

"It's better this way, Zanna must be removed." The twin girls, with features similar, spoke out in unison.

Then, as if in response to those words, the figure put down her hood. It was none other than Kiera. Anger was painted all over her face, but, she still retained calmness in that anger. On her back and under her robes, she pulls out her weapon of choice: A giant winged shield about the same height and width as herself, strapped to her right arm. The design of wings and lightning is emblazoned all over the shield, and with one declaration she brought it down on the Cervello.

"I DON'T CARE!"

As expected by Kiera, the two jumped out of the way to dodge the strike which created a crater from where they stood, but that created an opening, and it was all she needed. As soon as the path is clear, Kiera dashed onwards towards me.

"You think some of us aren't low enough to target your friends, your family, those loved ones around you?" The silver-haired assassin yelled to my face once more. Maybe it was what he said. Maybe it was Gina's voice, crying out. Maybe even Sergio's. All I know is immediately after the words end, anger erupted from my mind like a volcano, and I threw a head-butt as hard as I could.

"Crack!"

"Argh! Bastard!" He cries out as he dropped me to the ground, this time, I landed on my feet. As he staggers from the strike, I made my way in front of Sergio and Gina, shielding them with my body.

"You think I don't know what my Famiglia has been going through?" I yelled out instead. "For five years, I watched as they return from missions injured or even dead. I watched as their family members cried and attended their funerals. I watched as they get from their beds, ridden with bandages and casts, just to greet me every morning!" I went on, almost like I am complaining about it all. "And worse of all.. Worse of all! They don't even blame me! They smile and say that they are happy to die for me! I feel like running away! But, I know I can't! I just can't abandon them!" I gave out my thoughts. Strangely, my words seems to drive the assassin to a pause. He even had a surprised look on his face.

"I can see your potential now, but, orders are orders." The guy declared, his loud and unruly disposition now replaced with a calm one. Raising his dark blade to strike me down.

That was when Kiera jumped to our side, her robes blown by the wind revealing her still in her maid outfit, her weapon still on her right hand.

"Whoa, Battle-maid. I thought they only existed in cartoons." Sergio exclaimed with a surprised look.

With no hesitation, Kiera took out a pistol from her robes. It had pale-white metallic pieces adorned over a black metallic finish. The barrel's design is common among some of the earlier pistol designs, and is sculpted with ridges that seems to resemble short spikes, giving it a wild look. It's handle ends with an attachment of grey fur that finishes its design, resembling a wolf's tail. With haste, Kiera threw it over to my side.

"Lord Amato!"

As if by reflex, I effortlessly grabbed the pistol in its mid flight and turned to aim it at the assassin. Yelling out the name of my Legacy Arm, I begin to call forth it power.

"Fenris!"

It was then that a huge blast of energy surged out of my body. Only Kiera and I remained calm, everyone else was surprised. The assassin was even blown back a few steps because of the sudden blast.

"What is this?" He yelled out, his calm disposition slowly eroding from the pressure. Around me formed a pale-white translucent aura, its jagged edges and shape coming together to form the shape of a wolf. I could feel my senses sharpen and my wounds heal instantly as if bathed by a mysterious power. As the power burst forth to the surroundings, the wind blew accordingly. My pendant glowed with power and suddenly, a hologram-like word burst across its surface:

FANG

"What's happening to Amato?" Gina cried out, shielding herself from the wind and waves of force.

"Is he under attack?" Sergio yelled out. Kiera only raised her left hand with her eyes closed.

"Don't worry, he's not hurt. In fact, I would be more worried about the assassin." Kiera explained with a smile.

"What's happening to him?" Sergio ask, noticing that my eyes had taken a more feral look.

"He has... Awakened."

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**Oh look, it's Accelerator.. No I'm not gonna let him have his cheat-code Vector manipulation here. Well, how was it? As you can see, it's not so easy to be boss of a weaker Famiglia. Does the story interest you? Remember, praise, comment or criticize in your reviews!**


	6. I Have Decided

**Author's Note:**

**Hey, the very first arc of the story is coming to an end. Dangers aside, I'm looking forward to carefully developing my characters, making them grow in certain situations, especially Amato. So you know you can look forward to more crazy situations for him and his famiglia!**

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**Chapter 5: I Have Decided.**

_Legacy Arms and the Awakening._

_Both crucial and testament of the Zanna Famiglia. It is said that every boss of the Zanna Famiglia has had his own Legacy Arm. Even my father. These Armaments embody the strongest characteristic of said boss of that generation, focusing it into a single vessel. Thus, they can provide strength and abilities to their users, passively. I heard stories of some crazy things that my ancestors did. When used together with the pendant I am wearing now, the Tear of the Fang, it forces that focused power into the body, forcing the body to adapt and change to accompany that power._

_When this happens, that person has Awakened._

I stand before the assassin in proud stature, my gun still pointed at him. The wind had calmed down, and waves of energy had dissipated. I guess everyone was anticipating what was gonna happen next, as an odd silence fills the scene. It is still strange. My senses sharpened and I could see the movements of the assassin so clearly, his actions is now slower than before, slow enough for me to dodge or parry his strikes. I could hear the sound of butterfly's wing-beat a few blocks away, and see the sign a few blocks away as though it was right in front of me.

"You think that light show's gonna save you?" The assassin cried out, his silver hair blown back by the wind. It sounded almost like he was trying to convince himself. That yell was probably his signal, as he immediately charged towards me, bring down his black-blade, this time, using both hands to input the power of his swings.

I guess I was still hesitant of killing, as I could not pull the trigger when I could.

His foots-steps like thunder, he throws his swing faster than before, almost in-humanly possible, I think, creating a sharp sound as the blade cuts through the air.

"Chink!" The sound exploded from the ground as metal and stone collide once more, I dodged the first and second swings effortlessly, and pulled my body back. Taking on a tradition fighting stance, I immediately pull my knee up and stretch my heel as high as I can, before bringing it down. My axe kick is to break his neck.

"Crack!" The sound induced a slight feeling of success for me. If I finish it now, Sergio and Gina will not have any chance to get hurt. Suddenly, my thoughts were interrupted by a sharp, heavy pain.

"Nggh!" I gave out as the cold, black steel drove itself into my shoulders, like a poison seeping into an open wound. The shadows seemed to expand for a second there as my vision blurred. In reality, after my explosive kick landed on his neck, the assassin used the opportunity to drive his sword into my shoulders. I could feel it wading through my flesh, its chilling surface tensing my muscles, before stopping as it touched my shoulder-bone. Anything to get the job done, huh? I do not know if I should be impressed or terrified.

Immediately, I jumped back so that he would not get the chance to throw another swing, and I think I was in a worse position than him.

"Amato!" I hear Sergio and Gina's voice in unison. I take a quick glance to see them horrified by what happened, tears were slowly streaming down Gina's face. Kiera stood there motionless, but I could see anguish in her face as well. Darn it, I made Gina cry. Sergio tried to approach me to help, but Kiera blocked his way.

"You'll help him a lot more if you stay back and not get caught in the fight." Kiera said so calmly, but anyone could have felt the reluctance in her tone.

Of course, no way the assassin would stop, and in a matter of seconds, he resumed his assault.

"Crack. Crack." Cracking sounds, as bone-chilling as there are, can be heard from his neck as he twist and turn it around. It was as if my kick never happened. Does he feel no pain at all? All accounts to debilitate and hinder his actions have failed. Do I really have to kill him?

Thoughts cloud my mind as I barely slide past each strike, every time the strikes gets closer and closer. My body twitches and squirms in reaction to the pain, throbbing with each beat of my heart. Beads of sweat started forming on my forehead as the pain lingers. It was as if the body is urging me to stop, to rest. I feel it is harder and harder to focus. I have to end it now.

"Die!" The assassin suddenly roar out, a fiendish smile stretched across his face, plastered on his crooked head. The sword cut through the air and as I dodged, it created the loudest clank so far as it hit the stone paths of Venice. As I recovered for a counter-attack, the throbbing seems to get worse, each beat booming like a beat-box in my head. Without thinking, I threw a round-house kick as hard as I can.

"Thwack!" The impact was loud. This time, the assassin flew.

"Arrggghhh!" He roared like a tiger denied of his prey as his robes get drawn by the momentum.

Immediately, I turned and aimed Fenris at him, forcing myself to pull the trigger.

"Bang!" The shot, its explosion similar to that of a wolf's snarl, flew fast and swift, powerful enough to cut through the wind visibly. The bullet flew towards his chest. Though the head would have been a better target, my reluctance forced my instinct to aim for his chest instead. What surprised me most was that the guy actually saw it coming and twisted to his sides. The bullet torn through his right shoulder instead, ripping through his robes like a wolf's claw.

"Crash!" Was the sound heard immediately as he landed at one of the bazaar stands, destroying the fragile wooden foundations, leading to the whole stand collapsing on top of him.

Was.. was it over? Did I... killed him? No. That would be too easy. Did I at least knock him out? The silence of the streets now haunts us as the fighting was over. I turned towards my friends only after more than a few minutes has passed. The waters from the canals clash against the stones walls, as if rowdy for more fighting, the sound magnified by the silence.

That was my mistake.

A crash of sorts, loud and wild, blew off as the assassin erupted from the pile of rubble and wood. He was still yelling, or maybe roaring, for that matter. As my back was turned, he charged against my once again. This time seemingly faster than before.

"Amato! Six O'clock!" Sergio commanded once again, his hand point towards the direction opposite of where I am currently walking towards.

I would slap myself then if I had the chance. I turned a second quicker to be able to see the silver-hair monster drag his jet-black sword on the floor and swing it upwards, I think, aiming for my face. The only action I could manage was moving my arms to block it. The cut not only slashed across both of my arms, but the sheer force actually managed to throw me off my feet. My sharp senses seems to get more dull as my injuries throb. Nevertheless, I flew against the sides of one of the building of the Residential District. I could feel pain as I forced my body to move, landing as I hit the walls with my legs. Then, with as much of my remaining strength as possible, I pushed against the wall. The momentum of the rebound sent me back at the assassin like a speeding bullet.

"Hhhhrrraaaaaggggghhhhh!" I screamed as I pull my the hand not holding Fenris, my left fist, back, throwing it to punch the guy.

"Crack!" Was the sound loudly heard as my punch, accompanied with the force of the rebound, plunged into his face and into his jaw. The strike was much stronger than I anticipated, as I completely lose the feeling of my left fist to numbness immediately after that. The assassin flew from the impact, his face stunned by the chain of events. He knocked against the wall of the opposite building, giving off another loud 'thud', before falling on the ground.

I, myself, limped towards him with bated breath. My wounds scream out with pain, my whole body throbs and aches. I was drenched with sweat and covered with grime. As I got to him, he regained consciousness.

"Will you yield? Stop what you're doing. I don't want to kill you." I gave out coldly, I have little energy to sweeten my words.

"Ha ha ha ha ha ha! I'll never stop! If you let me go, I'll just come back as soon as I can!" He laughed it out before coming face to face with Fenris. The last look on his face was one of surprise.

_"Bang." The final shot rang across the streets, so loudly was it that the birds flew away, as if avoiding this horrid sight. His head had exploded apart from the impact, blood flew everywhere, some landed on my face. Not a surprise, a shot from from Fenris could blow a solid brick apart._

That was how I wanted it to occur. Instead, I cocked Fenris and put him away.

"No. You have friends, you have family. Is all of this worth it? Think about it." I gave out my reasoning. Whether he chose to heed it will determine his fate. First, his face still had that maniacal smile. Then, it was replaced by wide eyes of uncertainty and confusion. No word came from his mouth as he struggled to get back on his feet and limped away. He gave one last glance at me before disappearing into the dusk of the night.

"It's over..." I gave out with a sigh.

Sergio, Gina and Kiera walked to my side, not knowing the right words to say. I do not blame them, I am surprised Sergio and Gina did not run off when the whole thing happened.

I looked up into the sky, a full moon was up, it light now bathing onto my whole body. The wind had stopped blowing, but the silence was still there. The words that appeared across the pendant vanished, and I can feel the strength seeping away. My wounds throbs loudly in my head. I could feel the warm blood dripping from my wounds, mixing with the beads of sweat flowing down my body.

It is done. He is right. More will come, each time stronger than before. My Famiglia will be in danger. I must protect them.

As the last of the power disappeared, I fell to one knee. The cold of the night chilled my bones but also kept me from losing my consciousness. I find myself staring at the moon. Right, there is only one path. One choice.

"Kiera!" I ordered, for the first time in my life. She looked on with worried eyes. "I have decided." I continued, eyes still looking at the moon, my body shivering slightly.

"I will be Zanna Decimo."

Elsewhere, in a distance away from us. The Cervello has kept their watch.

"Surprising." One of them gave out in a serious tone. They watched as Gina helped me up and the rest helped me walk home.

"The attacks will continue..." Another one of the Cervello replied, shifting her pink bangs back. "Can you protect your family, Zanna Decimo?" She asks, almost in a curious tone.

"We shall see..." The two of them replied in unison as they disappeared into the shadows of the night.

Across the rooftops, another unknown figure stood there vigilant, watching both us as well as the Cervello. In his hands was a notebook, and as he watched, he recorded what details he could. His dark, blue hair was long, just barely below his shoulders, partly covered by his black fedora hat. His hair seemed messy at first glance, but the spikes curving out look symmetrical giving, it a nice, organized look. His eyes, similarly colored as his hair, were serious and calm. He wears a brown waistcoat over his white, long sleeved shirt together with simple black pants.

"Data input complete." He announces to himself with a sturdy and serious tone.

As the words end, he picked up the item lying beside him on the floor, a sniper rifle. It was adorned with sculpted designs with wooden plating, giving it a classical look and feel. It was also about the same length as his body from head to toe. As we left for home, he broke into a dash and vanished into the alleys below...

An hour later, I walked down the very same path in my mansion, my body covered with bandages. At the end of the path, was the throne that I am to sit in. I looked around, scanned the room, The white interior was covered with the black suited members of the Zanna Famiglia. Most of them are injured. Maybe it is just me but I think I can see smiles on some of their faces. I walked on with a worried look. I am to be boss. Me, a fourteen year-old teenager. Can I pull it off? At last I reached the throne, and sat down, in a calm manner.

Kiera knelled before me, offering in her hands a plain black box. Opening it revealed Fenris, placed neatly in its center. As I am instructed, I am to officially take it, and declare my title. Taking the pistol slowly. I looked at the Legacy Arm of the Zanna Primo and wonder if he or she had the same experience, at the same time clearing my doubts. Holding the pistol to my side, I returned to the seat in the most calm and serious way I know. That was when I made the choice that changed my life forever.

"I am Zanna Decimo."

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**The end of the 'Decision' Arc! Things are really gonna change for Amato now! Originally, I would have had Amato finish off the guy, but, I decided I want him to be a tad nicer. Whatever you think of it, please say it out in your reviews! Oh, Italics!**


	7. Responsibility

******Author's Note:**

******The start of the new arc as well as the start of his role as Zanna Decimo for Amato. Things might not be what people might expect, but I hope you guys enjoy the story nonetheless.**

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******Chapter 6: Responsibility.**

It was.. morning? It was cold. The wind blew, chilling my body, reminding me of winter-time. Today just seems unnaturally cold, and my body ached a lot more, I wonder why? The sun has not risen, so the streets was bathed with the calm, blue, blanket of night. It somehow feels gratifying that nothing is happening and the city is calm and quiet. The waves swivel softly, in a hypnotizing fashion. My empty bedroom gives off a rightly boring feel. I laid on my bed, my eyes are already open. Staring up at the ceiling, I find my body moving autonomously. What am I doing? I have to get back to sleep.

That was when reality came crashing down.

"Lord Amato! What are you still doing in bed? Get up!" A strict and beckoning voice called through the door, which strangely has a feminine feel to it.

"Wha-huh?" the words coming out of my mouth had little clarity in them. Looking at the clock beside my bed, I jumped to my surprise. "But it's four in the morning! Why do I have to wake up four hours earlier?" My complain boomed as I get empowered by my cranky, morning self. Well, I know better than to defy Kiera, so after a few minutes, I was out of bed and already preparing. Scurrying into the shower, I quickly turned the faucet and splashed my whole body with water.

! ! !

"Hhhiiiiyyyyyyaaaaahhhhhh!" I swear, my scream could probably be heard throughout the whole mansion, maybe even throughout the neighborhood. Why? Because the water was not warm, it was cold. Freezing in fact! That left me walking out of the bath shivering.

"Please Sir, tone down your voice." I hear Kiera's call, the power in her voice mysteriously disappeared.

"Why didn't the water heat up after I turned it on? I switched it on just after I woke up!" I spoke through the door as warmth slowly entered my body. At first, there was silence. I wonder if Kiera was still there, I heard no footsteps, so...

"My apologies, Sir, I.. turned it off, I'm so used to having no one bathing this early that I turned it off immediately when I saw it..." Her voice finally came through.

"Kiera..." I whined, my voice losing strength.. I hear her footsteps trotting away quickly after that.

After I got everything ready, I went downstairs and was surprised to see members of my Famiglia standing about. The white hall, statues and carvings and all, looked as grand and majestic as ever. "Good morning, Boss." A strong, heavy unified voice came out from the crowd. Moving orderly, they form a line surrounding the path that lead me to the throne of the Boss. It was as if they wanted me to sit on it. Most of them still has injuries all over, a painful sight. I can't actually see them fighting like that.

"Wait, uh.. What I meant is.. uh.." myself stammering in front of the Famiglia, their eyes staring at me, waiting for my command. I knew that it was going to be difficult. "Ahem." I clear my throat, giving myself time to calm down. "First order, I want those injured to stay in the mansion." A series of gasps and chatter erupted immediately as my words end. I suspect that the Famiglia will be reduced to a very small size should that order be carried out.

"But Sir! Our numbers!" Kiera exclaimed, the look on her face shows a girl irritated.

"You'll all stand a better chance surviving through any missions when you're better, okay?" I yelled out.

Silence assumed the hallways. I think they understood my message, reluctantly. Soon, after those injured went back to some of the empty rooms to recuperate, it left us with a handful of members. I can see a few adults as well as some teenagers. Two boys and a girl. They looked to be about my age, I guess.

That girl seems to be looking towards me often. Her blue eyes seem to glow with a mystique feel and her blond hair tied into a neat ponytail. Her big, bright eyes gives off a gentle feel, while her slow actions and friendly demeanor practically screams out the image of a shy, innocent girl. Heck, if I didn't know her, she would be the last person I would guess to belong in the Mafia! Her name is... Fina? Right, Serafina Walter. She prefers to be called 'Fina' though.

"Sera! What's wrong?" I ask out, curiousness flowing into my voice, the name just spilling out naturally.

"I told you not to call me that!" She yelled out suddenly, emotions flushing onto her face. She didn't really looked angry though, just embarrassed. It caught the attention of quite alot of the members, which forced her to quiet down again. "Um, it'.. nothing. I'm fine." She responded, the look of uncertainty on face disappearing. The answer only left me more curious. I wonder what or why?

Throughout the whole time, not one person has talked or smiled or in fact, done anything. They looked like zombies, walking around, standing about. Seriousness was plastered on each of their faces and that really brought down the feel of the whole mansion. I'll hate this job if this seriousness is all I'll see in my position as boss.

"Ugh, please can't you guys act more natural? Act normal, be yourselves. I don't want you guys to force seriousness just because of this line of work we do, okay?" I exclaimed while closing my eyes and shaking my head from left to right. No doubt this order came with its own set of gasps and chatter, but, whether they follow it through or not, has yet to be seen...

Soon, this handful of us left find ourselves in the meeting room, seated down surrounding a wide table with me sitting at the far side, everyone being seated either on my left or right and in my sights. I guess this is the seat of the Boss. They looked more relaxed now, though.

Yes, the meeting room. It used to be a fairly spacious room on the ground floor, with limited windows. Add in a table, chairs and outfit the room with a projector, and before I know it, it became the room used for planning strategies and missions. The table, silver-colored and cold to touch, is two-meters wide and ten-meters long with rounded edges, a real beauty in both its design and simplicity. Yeah, it's a really big table. Wooden chairs, with western design carvings carved into their designs, can be seen beside the table, giving off an ancient feel to the whole setting. Although the white color that is so prevalent in the mansion's design is still there, the lights, most of it coming from in-door lighting, calms the atmosphere, and somehow, makes it easier for people to take in things like information more seriously.

Catching wind of the members' occasional yawns only confirmed my thinking that this isn't a routine situation.

"Kiera, can you please tell me why I'm up three hours before I usually do? And please don't tell me this is for training..." My words came out as I slouch down my seat a bit, trying hard to hold back any yawning that might pop out of my mouth.

"Right." Was Kiera's own vocal signal as the projector began flashing the image of a map, with certain points crossed out. The map looks very familiar, and it should be.

"This is..." I gave off as a hint of seriousness entered my tone.

"Yes, this is Venice." Kiera responded while looking at the map intently herself. "The city of Venice belongs to the Zanna Famiglia. But, over the past few years, lack of resources made us lose vital areas of the city to opposing Famiglias." She continued her explanation, which sounded more and more like a speech. "We must secure these areas and bring them back under Zanna control." I was speechless by all this. Stunned by the burst of information, I find it difficult to follow it all.

"We have been planning this for weeks now, the first area must be secured today." The words coming out of Kiera's mouth was like a commander demanding victory.

"But Kiera, with our numbers currently..." Sera desperately voice out in her soft tone.

"Yes, well, Boss' orders, we'll make do with what we have." Kiera declared with a hint of irritation in her tone. Although she doesn't openly disagree, her glare makes me think otherwise, so strong was it that I felt like hiding under the table. "We have the boss' strength with us now, maybe it'll be enough." She calmly assures the rest of the members while still studying the projected map intently.

"Wait, how powerful are the opposing Famiglias?" I call out when I realized that I'll probably be in the thick of these battles, triggering a smile on Kiera's face.

"Good point, our scouts have said that the Mafia in these areas are mostly grunts, but they might have one or two elites with them, but, they are from the weaker Famiglias..." She says so while breathing out a breath of relief. "They probably won't be as strong as that guy yesterday." That was when the projection vanished.

"All right, we'll leave as soon as you guys have your breakfast!" She exclaimed happily with a smile on her face while the rest of the members seem reluctant to that idea. Kiera must be enjoying this, she has a passion for cooking that 'Burns as hot as the sun itself!' she said. "Don't give me that, you all probably haven't had your breakfast yet, the last thing we need is someone falling in the battlefield because of hunger!" She gives her reason while walking towards the kitchen.

"Wait, I'll help!" I called out, my sleepy legs following her steps. "And what did you mean by 'Probably'?"

The kitchen, with it's marble floor and wooden cabinets, it reminds me of those traditional kitchen people used to have. The smell of food can always be found drifting around, even when nobody's cooking. Well, it's probably because of how often Kiera spends her time in here. As soon as you enter, your eyes catch sight to rows and rows of knifes, lined up neatly and arranged from the type of dishes they are to be used in, to their size or length. When I finally caught up to Kiera, she was already chopping some vegetables on the chopping board. "What can you help with, sir?" She voiced out while her eyes focused on the chopping, the speed of her hands so fast they seem like the hands of a Master Chef. "I recall you never had any experience with cooking." She continued, taking out bread from the oven. "Baking a pizza in a rice cooker, ha!" She suddenly let out together with a smile and a laugh before shutting up. "Sorry, Lord Amato."

"Hey, if they can bake bread with a rice-cooker, I don't see why you can't bake a pizza with it!" I argued back, getting annoyed at her reaction. She always brings that up in the kitchen! It was that one time, one time!

"And that's why you can never bake, Lord Amato." Alas, my arguments were all shrugged off by that statement. I feel myself drowned by her immense experience and knowledge in all forms of cooking, and getting really annoyed.

"Just let me help!" I cried out, hands reaching out towards her with my eyes closed and a smile on my face. I don't know what went over me.

"Wait, stop, you're disrupting the process! Lord-"

Crash!

When I opened my eyes, I was staring at the ceiling. I must have slipped and fell. I can feel something on my body, and it's.. warm? Turning my vision downwards, I caught sight of golden bangs swishing before coming face to face with Kiera. Apparently, we fell and she landed on top of me. As our eyes locked with each other, our faces was only a few inches apart. Neither of us move or said anything as a few seconds ticked by. The only change was Kiera blushing before I felt the same. "Uh, sorry. Are.. you okay?" I asked out, looking away from her eyes before putting my hands on her shoulders, trying to help her up. That was when she knocked my hands aside with hers and scurried to her feet as soon as my fingers touched her, almost as if by reflex. I was left on the floor, confused.

She did not say a word but the look on her face said it all. It showed fear, confusion while her face was still red. The strangest thing was that at the very moment I touched her, I felt her shiver, it was as if I touched an injury or an open wound.

"Don't worry about the battles, I know you can do it." Kiera gave out as she turned her back on me and returned to cooking minutes later, leaving me staring at my hand and wondering what happened.

Before long, breakfast was ready and we all ate as fast as we could. Throughout breakfast, Kiera had her eyes closed while she bit down on plain bread.

Soon, we were ready to set out. As the group assembled behind me and Kiera, she gave out the order. "Our target is Ospedale Civile di Venezia." As her words boomed I pushed open the two front doors.

"Operation: Drug Haven, initiate."

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******The end of another chapter. Sorry for being late a bit, thinking of the basis for the chapters are easy, writing out exactly how it goes is difficult. For those of you who is unsure, the target is the Hospital of Venice. What is wrong with Kiera? Do you like the Yakitate Japan reference? As usual, praise, comment or criticize in your reviews!**


	8. Drug Haven

******Author's Note:**

******Hmm, you know, I may have planned out too many things for the story. It might take a while before I catch up to the events of Reborn! I'm also wondering if I should include more stories that has interactions with the Reborn! Cast or just stories concerning Amato and his friends...**

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******Chapter 7: Drug Haven**

As we made our way towards our target location on foot, the wind was freezing. My arms was so cold I had to stuff them into my pockets. Kiera had the same embroidered robes on, the hood covering her head, removing any chance for me to see her face. The thought of what happened in the kitchen is still bothering me, but I had to get it out of my head. The other members had all their weapons out and was walking quite a few steps from us, some in front, some at the sides and some behind us even. Except for Sera, I can't rightly see her weapon, if she had one in the first place. That was when the question came to me.

"Why the Hospital?" I gave out as our footsteps quickened. Well, it is one of the further targets, if not the furthest. Would a locale so far be useful to the Famiglia?

Kiera spoke out behind her hood. "The Hospital of Venice, known to the Mafia world as 'Drug Haven'. Because of the port advantages of the city, drugs of all kinds travel through the hospital, to be distributed among other hospitals in Italy. When we lost the control a few years ago, it became a smuggler's paradise. Other families look down on us for granting these roaches such a lucrative and accessible locale for smuggling. This first target will not only help us regain control, but also regain some Honor for the Zanna Famiglia." Kiera went on, never looking at me.

"And, they're denying us the use of the facilities, that's why our members looks so messed up for so long now.." Kiera muttered with a tone of concern, before her steps stop.

"We're here."

It was dark at first, but as light entered my vision, I came to see Ospedale Civile di Venezia in all its glory. With its white, Gothic architecture balanced with a touch of modern glass, metal and stone. It has been a while since I last came here. The sterile and unimaginably clean feeling of Hospitals always freaked me out, not to mention those needles and shots.

"Uh.. the Hospital..." I gave out with a shudder, which prompted a small chuckle from both Sera and Kiera.

Though it felt quiet and deserted of people, closer inspection brings to sight a number of guards surrounding the place. It looked almost like a small army. Can't believe I missed them.

I looked around and see my members ready their weapons and prepare for combat, and I feel nervousness sweep over my body. I look down and see that my hands are shivering. "Strange, I wasn't afraid when I was fighting yesterday night, so why am I afraid now?" I muttered out.

"Don't worry, I'll be by your side." A motherly and kind voice cut into my thoughts while a soft hand grabbed mine. It was Sera, her calm look steeling my nervousness, her gentle touch putting a stop to the shivering.

"Right." Kiera suddenly voiced out, cutting into the moment, almost like it was on purpose. "Our strategy shall be a two pronged attack, I will lead our main force to draw their attention, while a small number will enter through the back. There should be three back entrances you can take advantage of." Kiera commanded while she flourishes the giant-hunk of metal she calls a shield. Wing and clouds sculpted and emblazoned on the front, though I question what benefits they have besides aesthetic reasons. "You and Fina will be that small number." She say out in a strange tone, as if she's irritated.

"Wait, what? Sera? Just the two of us?" I blurted out, surprised. The kind and slow Serafina is to enter a Mafia-guarded building? I can't believe this.

"Yes, you are to enter and rescue Doctor Ines Rosalia, the head of the Hospital. We have little with us today, so you will go with one of our best." Kiera inform us while carefully studying the movements of the opposing Mafia behind cover. The name caught my attention.

"Ines? She's in trouble?" the words came with my looks of disbelief. Ines Rosalia. Head of the Hospital of Venice, and a personal doctor of my family. She's a nice lady who cares a lot for her patients and is renowned for her precision in surgery. "I haven't seen her in years but didn't she appeared in the news last week?" Yes, she seemed fine.

"It was all done to mask their smuggling activities. Erasing suspicions from the public while she is held at gun-point to ensure they get what they want, when they want it." Kiera gave out without a hint of emotion. "They say it had been none-violent over the past few years, but recent reports indicate this is changing. Doctor Rosalia's life may be in danger." Kiera says so, but her tone tells me it already has.

"Which Famiglia is it?" I ask with a serious tone after hearing what Kiera said.

"The Calcassa Famiglia."

"Right." I declared after breathing out and calming myself. "Let's go."

That was the last words before we went our separate ways, Kiera and most of the members sprints towards the entrance, while Sera and I make our way towards the back of the building, trying to remain unseen. I ran, heart beating at my every step, with Fenris gripped tightly in my hands. As we ran under the booming sound of gunshots and explosions, quick glances towards Sera reminds me of what Kiera said before.

_"____We have little with us today, so you will go with one of our best."_

Best? Really? I still can't believe it. I cannot picture Sera, with her calm, kind demeanor, and her gentle smile, as one of our best. No matter, I'll do what I can.

Soon, we find ourselves nearing the back entrance. The doors small, as if made to be inconspicuous. Guarding it was three men in black suits. In their hands was firearms, pistols, machine-guns. Of course, the course of action was simple, strike them, before they can shoot us. Looking towards Sera, her nod told me she understood. Fenris in hand, I invoked the name.

"Fenris!"

The same sensation washed through my body like waves washing ashore, the words appearing across my pendant:

FANG

"What the-" was the only words that one guard could give out before I went up to him, energy and force still pulsing and the aura still present, and snapped his wrist backwards. As the machine-gun fell from his hand, with power enveloping my body, I swept my leg in an arc, knocking him off his feet, before stomping down on his stomach. He was probably too surprised to react, as with my enhanced vision, I could see him stunned by my sudden appearance and attacks, before fainting due to the force.

Immediately, the one standing beside him pointed his pistol at me, but, I could see his actions seconds ago. My hand holding on to Fenris, I brought the grip down on his elbow before jabbing his ribs with my elbow. As he fell to the floor, coughing and struggling to breathe, I gave the back of his neck a strong chop, knocking him out of consciousness.

As my attention was brought to the third guard, something else caught it instead. In fact it was rather shocking. I watched, as Sera drew from her pockets, a piece of metal. It black with chrome finish. As she dashed towards the guy, who was holding a pistol against her, the metal extended until it was about two meters long. Sera's eyes, no longer as wide and innocent, furrowed with seriousness. It was almost like a complete change of personality. Her blond hair swished as she threw her staff at the guy's elbow, and with her hands holding on to the other end, she twist the staff and in turn twisted the guy's arm, forcing him to drop his gun. Immediately, she strike at the guy's throat with her staff. Foam appeared at his mouth before his pupils disappeared into pure white, and he fell to the ground like a dead body.

"Whoa." Is this... Sera? Really? Note to self: don't get her angry. "Uh.. Sera?" I find myself asking.

"Yeah?" She replied to me with her usual smile, returning to her usual look.

"Never mind, let's go." Not really the best time for me to think about these things, we have a mission to complete.

Soon, we made our way into the main office of the head. The grunts on the way had no chance, we plowed through them like a bulldozer through a field of snow. The insides of the building has been greatly modified by modern technology, and looks really high-tech. Even when it is closed, it still gave off the clean, sterile feel to the place. We could hear the sounds of blasts tone down as we progressed through the building. Kiera and the rest must have been successful, I can't actually imagine Kiera falling here.

As we reached the door, I knocked it down with a kick. As soon as that happened though, I stop hearing anything. That was when I saw who I assumed to be the head of this force here. Long, dark-blue hair with similar colored eyes. He's wearing a brown waistcoat, white, long-sleeved shirt and black pants. His black fedora hat reminds me of the image of a cowboy from the wild west. He holds Ines with his left hand while holding on to a long staff on his right? Wait, that barrel, a sniper rifle? It is a sniper rifle!

"Let her go!" I yelled out. As soon as those words end, Sera charges towards him. In a second, she let loose a series of swings and strikes that seems fast even for my enhanced vision. At first, it seemed like he was hit by all of them, dropping Ines on the floor with a thud, but, as I focused, I saw that he's actually dodging them. Dodging each strike by a centimeter only. Crazy reflexes! As I went in to help, he picked up his rifle, and twirls it around his body. Like a predator, he keeps his eyes of Sera's movement, and suddenly thrusts his rifle forward like a staff.

"Uh!" Sera gave out as the rifle struck her chest and she flew backwards from the force. That stopped me dead on my tracks, as I tried to catch her and cushion her fall. This resulted in both us falling on the floor as well.

"Sera, you alright?" I asked out, keeping my eyes of the guy should he decides to do anything else. This guy is no joke.

"Ngh, yeah." She gave out while looking stunned.

That was when the guy charged at me.

It so sudden, so I threw a roundhouse kick at him on reflex. Soon, a slight pain appeared on my right heel as my blow was blocked by his sniper rifle. As my leg recoiled because of the pain, I charged at him myself, recklessly, hugging his body and ramming against the wall, to his surprise. Why was he surprised?

Recovering from that charge, I throw a punch at him with my right fist. Again, it was blocked by his rifle. Ouch. I can't believe it would hurt this much, in my Awakening. He stands, dusting off dust from his waistcoat and manipulating the rifle like a staff. This is not looking good. Grabbing my neck with his left hand alone, he tries to strangle me to death.

His strength was insane. My vision was rapidly flashing and fading. I struggled for air as my left hand desperate tried to pull his hand away. That was when I caught sight of Ines and Sera, and I gripped Fenris harder. "No!" I managed to squeeze it out. "I will protect them!" I yelled out as I tore his hands away with mine, pulling his body towards me and giving him a knee jab to the stomach. He stumbled back coughing.

All the while, no words, no voice came from his mouth. Regaining his stance, he looked at me with serious eyes, staring at my pendant and Fenris.

"I see, you have taken up your title." The first words came, his tone as serious as his eyes.

"Huh, H-how do you know that?" I voiced out in surprise.

Again with no indication, he charged. Quickly, I throw a fist with minimum strength, expecting him to block it. As soon as he did, I used my right heel and jabbed at the side of his knee. His actions break out of balance from the sudden strike. My success was short-lived as the long barrel of his rifle came smashing at a speed so fast it caught me by surprise, smashing into the left side of my face. I think the only chance my jaw stood from breaking was because of my Awakening. As my jaw creaked, I can hear faint footsteps closing in on the office. That was when he did the most unexpected thing.

Swinging his rifle in an arc in front of him, he made a dash towards the tall window and crashed through, jumping out the building.

As I jumped back from that arc, I heard the sound of glass breaking. I could only see his dark-blue hair and pieces of glass from the window, before he disappeared below. Turning my attention back to Ines on the floor of the office, her hands and legs were tied up tightly behind her back, in a rather suggestive position.

"Amato?" Ines muttered in a rather sleepy voice. She seems.. tired?

"Uh.. uh.." no words could form while seeing her like that as well as shouldering Sera's painful stare.

Moments later, Kiera and the rest of my Famiglia made their way into the office. I explained what happened and looked out the window. I couldn't see any body. That means whoever that was, he's still alive. "Thank you for saving me, Zanna Decimo. I don't think I could take one more day with that guy in here." Ines explained as she adjusted her attire and her glasses. She still looked the same as I saw her years ago. Long, straight, black hair with hazel eyes. She has a comforting smile that let's her work with patients much more easily than other doctors, or so she say.

"Well, at least you're safe. I assume this means we've regained control?" I asked Kiera as we helped out tidying the office.

"I look forward to working with the Zanna Famiglia." She declared as she swept away the glass pieces from the window.

"Sorry about the window.." I apologized, staring at the wide hole that used to be the window.

"Don't worry, we'll have it patched up soon. It wasn't as much as your fault as it was from the Calcassa Famiglia." Ines gave her reply whimsically.

"Sir, this operation has been a success, we ought to be on our way." Kiera told me as she looked out the window. As my eyes follow, I could see the sun rising. "Goodbye, Doctor Rosalia, take care." Kiera said so with a bow.

"Oh, and about your shots, Amato..." Doctor Rosalia gave out as she picked up a folder from the floor, the name written on it was 'Amato Zanna'. "I think you missed a few of them, you won't mind if you take them now, right?"

She turned to see the door to her office wide open with me and my members gone. Of course, I wasn't gonna stay for that!

* * *

******Oh darn, I messed up with the last chapter! There is such a thing called a 'rice cooker pizza'! Oh well. I don't know if this is a good portrayal of Mafia-activity, but it is how the story goes. Please praise, comment or criticize as well as tell me whether you want to read more of Mafia-related stories or more Slice-of-life stories right here in your reviews!**


	9. Stares of Envy

******Author's Note:**

******Hi, guys. Surprised? A new school term means a whole new study schedule. Now I have more time for myself, it seems. That's why now I'll try to update twice a week, bringing you guys more of the story quicker, every Monday and Friday. Just a note, my story isn't all serious and life-threatening, there will be arcs where it'll be purely slice-of-life. So sit back and watch my grand story unfold!**

* * *

******Chapter 8: Stares of Envy**

It was... bright? Yes, very bright. The light shone into my eyes gave me a sight of a blurred and hazy background, surrounded by the light from the sky. Soon, the light dissipated and was replaced by a clear view of an open field of green. It felt like summer, insects' faint buzzing can be heard across the field, as well as the occasional breath of wind. It was calm, and peaceful. I like it. No more of that Mafia stuff and certainly no more getting struck by bullets or blades... Under the cooling shade of an apple tree, I resolved to go back to sleep.

"Amato?" A soft, sweet voice came from an unknown source. I turn my vision across the fields to see a figure walking through the blurry landscape. The figure feel familiar, wearing a pure white dress as well as a hat over her head. Before I know it, the figure made its way to my side and took a seat beside me. Looking upwards as I lied on the soft grass, I saw Gina's face with a soft smile.

"Wake up, Amato.." Her soft, cute voice called out.

"Wake up, Amato..." She continued.

...

Suddenly, my vision cleared to see Gina's cute, innocent face turn into Sergio's. Still in that dress.

"Wake, up, Amato!" He yells out in his bellowing voice, his tone indication that he is annoyed. That sight was already freaking me out, the voice just takes the cake.

"Hhhyyyyyyaaaaahhhhhhh!" I screamed out at the top of my voice, jumping out of my seat with my arms shot out in different directions.

Blinking not once, not twice, maybe ten times or more, I dunno, I lost count, I finally returned to my senses and see that I was actually in class, sleeping. The field was gone and was replaced by concrete grey and wooden textures. Looking down I see my desk and seat, and looking around I see my classmates all staring at me. There was no teacher present, I guess it must be lunch. In front of me stood Sergio, somewhat angry at me, looking resigned, putting his fingers to his nasal bridge and sighing.

"Uh... sorry." It was the only response I could give to the stares of my class, most of them by now was looking at me funny, some gossiping about it, others laughing out loud.

"What a loser.." A pair of girls say out in a loud voice, almost like they wanted me to hear it.

"Bad grades finally driven him mad, maybe?" One of those nerds with big, wide glasses prodded with questions, as if I was his little experiment.

"And the number of injuries he has explodes by the day!" Someone shouted out from one of them groups. They must be referring to those bandages around my elbows, the ones covering up that fairly obvious cut.

Sigh.

"There goes any reputation I have left..." I resigned myself as I got back to my seat quietly, ignoring what those people are throwing out. What do they know?

Sergio, in response to my sigh, now looked a little bit less angry, and a little bit more apologetic. Swinging a chair out from his own desk, he settled and sat down right beside me.

"Sorry." the words coming out straight and fast. His hair looked as straight as ever. "I forgot, after what happened yesterday night..." He went on, trying hard to be understanding. "In fact, are you sure you're well enough to be in school?" His asks as his tone change into one of concern. His dark, brown eyes wide for answers as he gives out his questions.

"Don't worry, this is just something I have to get used to..." I gave out while looking out the window, as if trying to run away from the subject.

"So you really are the boss of a Mafia Famiglia?" Sergio quietly slipped that question in. I know from the tone of his voice that he's taking this very seriously.

"Yes." That was the only thing I could give him. An answer, no explanations. Anymore and I might endanger his life.

That was when I noticed Sergio staring at something behind me with the look of surprise on his face. I turned around immediately to see Gina walking in our direction, with half the eyes of the class following her. She looks the same as she always do, beautiful with a bright smile on her face. I could hear voices here and there already talking about why she's walking towards us, me specifically.

"H-hey there.. Amato.." She called out to me, her usual smile disappearing. I can already feel my heart beating faster. I don't know if it was my feelings or something else, fear maybe? And, I could also feel the glares of the other boys in class, bearing down on my back.

"Uh... Gina.. Hi.. Uh.." I stammered word after word, looking very flushed and surprised. I was thinking she wouldn't talk to me again after what happened last night. I thought for sure she was gonna brand me off as someone dangerous. The class is of course reacting to this 'shocking' change, after witnessing the School Idol herself walking up and talking to this random guy, namely me.

"A-are.. you.. all right?" She voiced out her concern.

Of course, this drew even more attention, gossip and surprise from the class. Although, no one seems to be doing anything more than that. The guys all look like they wanna hit me, though.

"Aren't you afraid, Gina? After something like that happened yesterday..." I forced myself to say it, even though it might spell the end for this friendship. I looked on, half-eager, half-afraid of what her answer might be. That was when I noticed her hands shivering, and thought how stupid it was to ask.

"I.. I.." Gina's words started to crumble, even Sergio was looking worried. "I.. am afraid.." The words finally came out. To me, it was like all my hopes of being with her crushed by this relationship I have with the Mafia. "But!" She suddenly voice out loud as she saw my reaction. "I'm.. worried for you as well... I wanted to get away.. but, I can't!" She looked really confused. Her eyes tell the story of a girl who's afraid, but at the same time, she was blushing slightly from her emotions.

"Not after what you protected me and Sergio.." She said softly while holding my hand. That was when her shivering stopped.

Sigh. I gave out a few breaths and find myself slumped in my seat, overwhelmed by the confusion of what should be done and what I want. I'm really happy she said that, though.

"All right, I guess this 'Friendship' thing can still work..." I could see smiles emerge on their faces as I said those words. Friendship, a strange and powerful thing. I felt ashamed that I placed so little trust in them, and I also felt like I was gonna cry. "So, friends?" I ask out.

Sergio and Gina looked at each other and nod, before smiling back.

"Of course!"

"And here I thought you were falling sick..." Sergio says out, dissing off his worries.

"Oh, why?" I gave the question as confusion filled my face.

"What did you mean, why? Why else would you sleep through each class dead like a log?" He exclaimed, voicing out his concerns.

"Yeah, and you looked like a zombie the way you came to class today, you just walked in, dragging your feet and just slumped yourself in your seat." Gina added on her own thoughts, clearly enjoying herself as she did a little role-play on exactly how it looked.

"All right, we better get out of here, school's been over for a while now..." Sergio informs us as he started getting off his seat and putting it back at his desk. Huh? And true enough, Gina followed suite.

"Wait, isn't this lunchtime?" I gave out by reflex as I struggled a bit with the sudden information. Sergio then pointed out, calling me to look around class. That was when I saw that the class was empty save for one or two students, as well as saw the time on the clock. It was already past Three o'clock.

"I slept through the whole day in school!" I can't help but shout out the question. Soon, I was packing my stuff in a frantic.

As we walked out of the classroom and through the halls, I noticed my presence had changed. Boys from every class was staring at me, as I changed from 'Average guy' to 'The one who stole their idol' in just a day. And the image of Gina hugging on to my left arm wasn't making it any better. Not that I'll complain about it or anything. As we walked past the bulletin board, a rather finely decorated poster caught my attention.

"Huh, the Culture Festival's coming..." I randomly spoke out.

"Yeah, in about three weeks or so." Sergio replied almost immediately.

"I think it'll be fun!" Gina voiced out her opinion, still hugging my arm.

As we got outside, I find myself staring at a particular rooftop of a building not far from here. I had this really strange feeling, I don't know why. "Hey, what are you looking at?" Gina asked curiously as she tries hard to follow my eyes. Even Sergio had that questioning look on his face. Unknown to them, and myself, I was already holding on to the grip of Fenris, which was holstered to my side, hidden behind my over-shirt. My instincts must have been sensing something, and I could feel my senses slightly sharpened just by holding my Legacy Arm itself.

Suddenly, my body and legs moved on their own moved on their own.

I heard a sound, then a very sharp pain afterwords. What happened? I saw Sergio and Gina closed their eyes for a second there. Did they hear it? Probably not. They were probably just surprised. As they opened their eyes, I stood in front of them, arms thrown wide open. I was standing slightly closer to Gina. Strange, I don't even feel anything.

That was when my body lost all it's strength, and I fell to a kneel, before falling like a corpse. I had only one thought as my vision faded away.

I'm sorry. The apology done in silent to my Famiglia as I fell unconscious with my hands reaching out towards Sergio and Gina.

* * *

******Oops, that took a day longer than I expected. What had happened? Is Amato gonna be alright? Well, I'm now trying hard to go break into the 3000 words mark. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to do it for this chapter. Keep a look out for the next one, it's gonna be one heck of a chapter!**


	10. Loyalty

******Author's Note:**

******School has been.. really daunting. There's a lot of new information that I find hard to grasp. Well, thinking of stories for the Fan-Fiction is still there! Don't worry about it! A thing to note, Amato has fallen unconscious, so to tell the story of what happened, we will be switching perspectives. Try to figure who.**

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******Chapter 9: Loyalty**

******A Sacred Code.**

The sun shone as I stood, powerless and fear-strucked by what happened. The wind blew through my hair, giving off a cool and very normal sensation. Students and teachers can be seean talking and walking home all around us. I watched, as if time slowed and the sounds mellowed around me. I saw my best friend jumped in front of me, and then fell to ground. I was confused, exactly what had happened? No one else beside Regina standing beside me seems to notice what occured. As Amato fell, only one thought came into my mind, while I stood feeling anger, confusion and fear.

Darn it, not again!

I only managed to break from that trance when I heard Regina's voice.

"Amato!" She called out, her warm smile fading fast, as she ran towards him. I find my legs following as soon as I regained control. Grabbing Amato's shoulders before he landed on the ground, I held on tight while my mind tried to process what happened.

"Amato, are you alright? What happened?" I asked out, although deep down I know it was pointless to ask. Someone has tried to take his life. Again. And once again, I stood helpless.

Amato has all but lost consciousness, his body now longer showing any movement. I went to check his pulse and found out that though it was still there, it felt weak and irregular. "We need to get him to the hospital, or something! Anything!" I yelled out to Regina, finding myself slowing lost in the panic, holding up Amato's body.

That was when I saw two deep holes on Amato, one at the left side of his body, the other at his right arm.

"This.. is.." I gave out as my eyes stared at the wounds. "He.. he was protecting us.." I muttered out, sweat starting to flow down from my forehead.

"Sniff.." soft whimpering can be heard from my side, and I turned to see Regina trying hard to keep the tears from bursting out.

"You idiot..." I called out, as if expecting Amato to hear. The blood had not stop flowing out of the wounds, the crimson color being soaked by Amato's white shirt, dyeing it red. The shirt is torn by the shots as rips and tears, huge ones, can be seen.

All the while, I find myself desperate and scared. I don't know what to do. My best friend is on the floor with two gunshots. I hate myself for not being able to prevent this from happening to him. The stone floor was unsually cold even though the afternoon sun was beating down on us. I'm sure Regina must be feeling the same thing.

Grr, I hate this feeling!

"All right, we gotta go, Regina." I informed her as I carefully moved Amato, trying to hoist him on my back.

"Sniff.. Okay.." She replied as she tries to stand, only to lose her balance as she took her steps.

"Whoa, you okay, Regina?" I quickly asked her as I move my left hand to support her. That was when I realized that my hands are shaking. Am I afraid? What am I afraid of? I find myself looking at my shaking right hand, before clenching into a fist to rid it of the shake.

Right, the Bushido Code, I have to help, even if I am afraid. Not to mention it's my best friend.

"Hang on, Amato."

Ba-Dump. It occured so suddenly. My heart just went faster as if my body sensed something. Among the remaining students that was walking out the school, none of them actually see what happened. As the wind blew, I felt something like a warning. Is it danger? Ba-Dump, Ba-Dump. My heartbeat is going faster, and I'm definitely sensing something wrong. It felt like a muderous intent, I think. But, those things comes from stories, they can't be real. I spread my eyes across the area, but the sound and sight of the students was making it hard to pinpoint what exactly I'm feeling. Unknown to us, a stranger was walking towards us. Shifting between the groups of students and teachers, he quietly walked closer with each step.

That was when I saw him. My heartbeat accelerating with each of his steps, it was as if my body wants me to escape so that I could survive, like an animal. Is this instinct? His eyes meant business, as serious as they come, together with hair and black hat, he definitely fits the description for an assassin. . Black leather shoes produced his footsteps as he came ever-closer. His dark, blue hair is certainly an unusual sight, but, I was more focused on the long object he is holding behind his back. Casually even, as he makes no attempt to conceal it. Its a sniper rifle, but it's way longer than those you see in them videogames.

"Huh?" Regina gave out softly as she notices him getting to close.

No doubt he's here to finish the job. I can't let him do that.

"Regina, if anything happens, I want you to run." I whispered to her.

"Bu-but.." Regina replied, looking even more afraid and confused because of my statement.

"Look, if you're not careful, you might die here so no buts, and I'm sure Amato would want you to be safe." I told her, trying to make her undestand the danger that we are currently facing. Mafia. With each heartbeat I felt, my body was slightly shaking the whole time. Darn it, this is no time to be afraid!

"Be careful, Regina." I muttered those words, as if saying goodbye.

"Sergio?" Regina questioned, still staying beside the unconscious Amato.

"Hhhyyyyaaarrrggghhh!" I charged at the stranger with no warning, roaring to keep my head clear from fear. His movements were slow but precise. As I closed in on him, I threw a very basic punch, aiming for his jaw. My heart is basically exploding with each beat, and I find beads of sweat falling from my face. To my surprise, my actions garnered no reaction from him, and with no effort, he swung his rifle around and used it to block my fist, all with only one hand. The speed was inhuman. It looked like something out of a cartoon. I couldn't believe that swing took place in about 2 seconds.

"Crack!"

"Argh, augh!" I gave out as I pulled back my hand by reflex. Did he added his own strength to that block? Pant.. Moving my fingers gave out sharp jolts of pain. It doesn't seem like I'll be able to keep using my right fist anymore. It felt like I just puched a thick slab of metal. As I staggered past him, I turned and looked towards the guy and saw that he was still walking towards Amato and Regina, one step at a time. I guess with Amato down, he expects no other resistance. I could also feel this feeling of helplessness inside me, gnawing at my inner-self.

No way I'm letting him anywhere near my friends!

"Haaaaahhhhhh!" I gave out once again. I don't know why I'm shouting like this. Maybe it's because I'm afraid. Maybe it's because deep down I know that my actions will accomplish naught. Of all the fights I've been in before, I have never felt so helpless, so powerless to do anything. This time, I throw my left fist, aiming for his solar plexus. All the while still, no reaction, no words, not a sound from the assassin. The cold wind was numbing my right fist as I charged against the guy again, legs running and sprinting hard. I can feel the hard-stone paths that is so present in throughout Venice as I ran, closing in on the Blue-haired assailant. In an instant, however, I see him twist his rifle around my left arm. He didn't even need to see where my arm was. It felt completely impossible. Then, he twists the barrel of his rifle and pushed me away, and I find my body being twisted and thrown.

As I flew getting pulled from the sudden force, I was completely stunned by what happened. There was pain coming from the joints of my left arm. I gave no sound as I flew. There was too much clutter between my thoughts. I was also finding it difficult to grasp everything that was happenning. That feeling of inability was eating my mind like a voracious carnivore.

"Clank!" The rings sounded off as I landed, breaking a few of the potted plants that was present there. It seemed like I landed not far from where Amato and Regina was. Now, my body was shaking even more than before. "Pant.. Pant..." I was also running out of breath. As I laid on the stone-floor, my body was constantly assaulted by the presence of pain, coming at irregular intervals. Did that fall broke some of my bones? I could not know.

"If anything, I give you my respect for standing up for your friend." The first words came from the guy, yet, they only seem to push me down further into the ground. It felt like he was so convinced that I am nothing before him. I bet he wasn't even planning to kill me. As his words end, he continued his slow walk towards Amato and Regina.

"Please... stay back." I can hear Regina crying out. I can even see her trying to pull Amato away. Though it was difficult for her to even move him by a few meters alone. "Please, don't kill him." I can hear Regina's feelings through her voice.

"This is not my choice." The guy gave back a rather strange response. In fact, he sounded reluctant, just barely.

While all this was happening, a certain memory was constantly flashing through my mind. It was when I was six years old. It was when my father first told me of the Bushido code.

___As I walked into the living room, Father was looking really happy. Beside him was a suit of Samurai armor, its metal plates kept in prime condition, still shining from the sunlight coming from outside. Father was always proud of his Heritage, and would sometime complain that Italy has made him forget the traditions and virtues that he learned as a child back in Japan. My sister took no notice, but I was curious. And, of course, that armor looked awesome. Father would sometime spent hours just looking at it, tweaking it and polishing it. Even then I knew it was precious to him. Father was righteous, he don't drink, smoke, and he told me that he couldn't even remember the last time he went to a club. He said that he is already content, living the way he is. He always had that certainty in his eyes._

___One day, I got curious enough to ask. _

___"What's so special about the armor, Dad?" That was when he gave me a smile, as if he was expecting it. _

___"It comes from our family. It belonged to your great-great grandfather." Father begins to explain, putting his fingers on one the plates. "We, the Endoh family, had always kept the Bushido code, the 'Way of the Warrior' with us, even after the Samurai era." Father explained proudly, hitting his chest, almost like he's boasting about it._

_"____The Bushido Code comprise of virtues which help straighten our personality and morals, ensuring that we do not stray to the path of evil, or lose ourselves to our sins. Samurais would often uphold these virtues all the time, and those whose virtues are the strongest are often looked upon as an example to others." Father went on as his eyes followed the blade of the katana beside the armor. I looked on with eyes of admiration and wonder._

_"____The virtues are:_

___Rectitude: The will to follow and do what is right, always, without falter._

___Courage: The strength to stand up for what you believe in, as well as to those who are wrong in their actions._

___Benevolence: The heart to know kindness and restraint, as well as the ability to promote goodwill._

___Respect: The knowledge of attitude, opinion and admiration, as well as to know who to give it to._

___Honesty: The choice to always be honest to yourself, in your actions, and to others._

___Honor: The mind to conform, abide and to act accordance to what is right, even if you do not personally want it._

___Loyalty: The soul of which certainty in where your loyalty lies."_

As these images flashed across my mind, I find myself ignoring all pain. My body got up on its own. It felt almost like I was in a trance. Soon, I find myself already beside Regina and Amato. I could see the blood still present on Amato's shirt. The bleeding seems to have stopped though. Is this what Amato has to go through often? Looking at his grazed body, covered with bandages, I would have never thought that he had to endure this much hardship if I wasn't with him last night. Yet, he had time to smile and do stuff for people, to be kind and helpful to the class, despite what they say about him.

_"____Your great-great grandfather died sacrificing himself for his lord, by this code." Father continued, but now he was sitting japanese-style on the floor in front of the armor. "_

___What? Why did he do that?" I asked out in surprise. _

___"You'll understand, I'm sure of it..." Father gave out as he stood up patted me on the head._

_"____You are Endoh, after all."_

I... think I understand now. My mind certain, I find that lingering fear in my mind less daunting, and is able to ignore it. I threw my arms wide open, acting as a shield between him and my friends, just as Amato did last night. "By my Bushido Code, I will not let you kill him, not as long as I live!" I declared, certainty in the tone of my voice.

As the pain continues to throb, the wind blew against my hair. It felt cooling. This time, I charged without a sound, my mind was clear. The guy was still silent, his eyes still focused on Amato, ever serious. It's like he don't even see me. I threw another punch with my right fist. That was when in a swift motion, he redirected it to the ground. I watched as my vision fell. And suddenly, a very sharp pain erupted from my knee as soon as my face hit the ground. It seems the guy had thrusted that rifle, using it akin to a staff, and pierced into the joint. I could feel my muscles as they were torn, and the pain throbs even more as I tried to get up.

Darn it, stopping my movement so that I will no longer be a nuisance! No time, I must do something!

"Regina, run!" I called out as the guy stood in front of Amato. Amato was still unconscious, and showed no signs of waking up.

"Please, just stop!" Regina cries out, tears flowing, grabbing the guy's arm. The only response he gave was pushing her away. Lifting the rifle, he aims it straight at Amato's head.

"Goodbye, Zanna Decimo." He gave out as the rifle clicked as it was loaded.

"No!" I yelled out, barely standing, still feeling paralyzed from that strike.

"GET AWAY FROM HIM!"

Suddenly, the guy jumped back a few meters as a figure in robes appeared, bringing down her giant weapon. The weapon looked like a mace, or just a giant piece of metal, but it was adorned with finely crafted designs of wings and lightning bolts. As it came down, shockwaves erupted from the grounds as the stonefloor cracked and exploded, forming a small crater of sorts. That was when I realized that the school was empty now, and I could see groups of people in suits closing in on us. Is this Amato's Famiglia? Wait, the girl looks familiar.

A plethora of emotions was shown from her serious eyes as her golden bangs was blown by the wind. Her maid outfit looking graceful in the afternoon sun. No doubt, this is the girl that appeared yesterday. Amato told me about his caretaker, a maid that had been with him ever since his Father went missing. As soon as the name came to me, I blurted it out.

"Kiera!"

"The Black Valkyrie, I knew I should've ended it quicker." The guy voiced out, sounding regretful, though his tone would say otherwise.

"You two, please get Boss Amato outta here, head back to the mansion!" She commanded as members of the Zanna famiglia came to our aid. Two men helped me up while a number of them got Amato into a stretcher. Soon we were making our way to a limousine parked near the school. It seems they came prepared. As I looked back, I saw as the guy jumped towards us only to get knocked away straight in the face by that giant shield. The sound of their weapons clashing was intense. Clearly, these fighters are in a league of their own.

"All right, lets go." I called out to the members as well as Regina, who reponded with a nod. Her tears had stopped.

As the car screeched away in high speed, the two was still clashing with each other. Any attempt the assassin makes to give chase would end with Kiera blocking him with her shield. "I'll show you just why they call me the Valkyrie." Kiera give out her last warning before beginning her assault.

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******My, what's gonna happen now? Is Amato going to be make it out alive? I'm sorry for being late again. You guys won't mind if the updates come a few days late, right? Anyways, as usual, praise, comment or criticize in your reviews!**


	11. The Valkyrie

******Author's Note:**

******Well, I'm back again. It seems all I've been doing lately is planning out the story for this fanfic. Well, no big deal, I'm sure if you have been enjoying the chapters you're happy to hear that. I have been trying to streamline my writing style, but without reviews, I can't actually know which part should not be written and which part could be improve on. Still, I do hope you guys enjoy the story, even if you guys find it hard to read.**

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******Chapter 10: The Black Valkyrie.**

******Inner Feelings.**

___The Black Valkyrie. That was the name I earned for myself. My skill, my name, my family name, as well as the design of my shield, generated the name soon after I entered the mafia world. Though I was still a child, my prowess has never been bested. That's not to say I'm strong. You never know what's out there in the world. 'Kiera' is the irish name for the color black, 'De Luca' means the son of Luca, one that has been shared with sculptors and saints through the passage of time. I guess 'Valkryrie' was derived from my Family name. I never cared much for what people called me, but I guess I have become pretty well-known throughout the underworld. _

___That don't matter now._

The bright afternoon sun was shining on with a yellow hue. Every once in a while I would hear the sound of the wind, or a sparrow chirping. My vision was fast, blurring everything around me as I moved. One would think that with the speed I'm moving, I, myself, would be out of breath or exhausted, but, I wasn't. I'm still light on my feet and feeling fine. The area is the open road, near the foyer of Venice High. The area is mostly deserted, as far as my vision tells me. We did a good job informing the people of the area as well as asking them to stay away from the area. As soon as the screeching of the limousine tires can no longer be heard, a flash of blue closed in on me and the barrel of a sniper rifle can be seen flying towards me.

"Clank! Thunk!" The metal impact created a slew of clashes and sounds. I could even feel some of the force through the metal. This guy's not bad. After the clash, we each fall to our respective sides. As I stood, lifting my giant shield like a sword, my robes flutter as the wind blew. I could see, in front of me, the Assassin. Dark, blue hair, unkempt and long, flows down his head and only stops past his shoulders. The uneven and spiky ends of his hair coming down on his back fly with the breath of the wind. His presence was overall inconspicuous and uninteresting, which is the perfect get-up for an Assassin.

As all these thing were happening, my mind was churning with worried thoughts, anger, fear and sadness was what I was feeling.

"So it's true, you have allied yourself with Zanna." The stranger gave out in a curious tone, his eyes now with a hint of surprise.

"Who sent you?" I yelled out in anger, ignoring everything else and going straight at him. I know this is reckless, but I wasn't thinking much, or rather, it was difficult. Moving my shield back while leaping in the air, the frills on my uniform blowing back as I brought it down on the guy. His reaction was predictable, he saw it coming and hopped backwards, resulting in my attack missing and landing on the ground instead. I guess it was too obvious a strike. As my shield came drove into the ground, ruptures can be seen and felt as stones and pebbles radiated apart and a pulse of dirt can be seen briefly flying a centimeter into the air around the epic-center. Quickly after that, the stone-floor broke apart and the dirt was pushed away by the force.

My eyes shifted back to the guy and saw how he immediately counter-leaped back at me just as his feet touched the ground, his rifle in the offensive position, highly reminisce of a staff-wielding martial-artist. "Crush!" The sound went off immediately as I pulled out my shield from the ground and pulled it in front of me to block the blow.

"Crink! Kashrink! Chunk!"

His rifle skidded across the surface of my shield, resulting in an amalgam of different sounds. His strikes were fast and precise, leaving almost no openings. I went on with blocking, trying to get used to his style of attack as well as watching out for any chance of a hit.

Ending the series of clashes with a tie, we once again jumped back away from each other. This of course is a natural course of action, staying close to the opponent can garner more chances to hit him, but it also gives that advantage to the opponent as well. As I stood, carefully observing his movements, different thoughts were flowing through my mind.

___I remembered when I managed to catch wind of a sniper shot near the school, and my heart sank a bit. Even though I shouldn't have thought of the falling of my Boss, deep down, a part of me knew it could happen, or very well will. Getting here, we did the standard protocol and got the public to safety. That was before I saw Lord Amato on the floor, lifeless. Bloodsoaked and pale, he matches the description of a corpse you would see after someone was shot. _

___The first emotions I felt was not one of sadness, but one of regret. I knew how kind Lord Amato is. He could've dodged those bullets effortlessly, but standing beside him was his two friends. One of them, Mister Endoh, was even going against the Assassin. I knew Lord Amato would put their lives above his. I knew yet I did not offer more protection for him. Seeing him on the ground like this, I felt my heart gripped by despair as well as a sense of guilt. _

___Please, let him be alright._

"Amato.. you idiot.." I muttered out under my breath.

Maybe it was because of my thoughts, that I was quite surprise to see the guy charging towards me. Using any opportunity possible, this Assassin is definitely skilled. This time, I dodged, but only barely, with the strike grazing my cheek. Had it connected, I would've suffered massive injuries to the head, and most likely have been knocked out.

"Pant.." I gave out my breath, trying to get my head back into the fight. I have to retaliate. I reached out to punch him with my left hand, as he had closed in on me with that strike. As expected, he blocks it by shifting his rifle into the trajectory of my punch. Immediately, as my punch touched the metal, I begin pulling it back, reducing recoil damage. At the same time I throw my right knee towards him, my skirt flying, aiming for his stomach.

Surprised was he at the speed, I saw he kicked up his left leg to block my strike. Unexpected at his reaction, I was half-expecting it to hit, still it was an advantage. Seeing his moves, I added more strength to my knee-strike. I could feel his knee-bone as I struck him cleanly. His reaction was staggering back due to the impact, Taking that chance, I swung my shield sideways in an arc, aiming for his head. Finally, his expression changed as his eyes widen at the strike, bringing his arms up to block it.

Crack. A slight crack, barely audible, was given out, and from the impact, the Assassin flew a few meters back. A thing to note, he made no sound nor did his actions falter in their precision.

"Ngh.. Cough.." The Assassin let out as he holds his body up only with his two arms, his left leg injured, majority of his body still on the ground. I made my way towards him to crack his skull only to be given a very unexpected response from him.

"Calcassa."

"What?" I can't help but sound surprised at his choice of last words.

"I yield, spare me." The words are outrageous. He expects me to let him live after he shot down Amato? I was getting emotional.

"After all you've done?" I yelled out, my face red with anger. The guy was already on his feet, though he is clenching on to his arms. Just thinking about the pain Amato went through lights the fuse to even more anger explosions.

"He still has a chance to live, though I doubt it. Don't you want to spend his last moments with him?" I bit my lip as his words end, mostly because it might be true. I stood as I think it out, trying hard to hold back on any more emotional outbursts.

"Can you guarantee no more trouble from your famiglia?" I ask out. His words are a lie, I kept telling myself. Amato will pull through!

"My life is now forfeit. I will no longer be of trouble, I can't say the same about my Famiglia. And I will not give up my life for them."

I don't know why I did it, but after he declared his statement, I immediately turn for the Zanna mansion. His words may be full of meaning, or a pack of lies, but, I couldn't decide then. Emotions swept me over and carried me like a log flowing down a river. Amato... Somehow, maybe it was his actions, or his look. So I gave him a chance to live. Now the important thing is to get to Boss's side. I have to be there and help him through this.

"Hang on, Amato.." I gave out, wiping away the first teardrop as it began to fall. The last thing I saw, was the guy, his blue hair, black hat, and strangely, a look of concern.

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******The end of another chapter. Whoa, looks like we've hit chapter 10 already! Was the fight too quick? I ended it early to show how skilled the fighters were, as realistically, the stronger you are, the faster your fights should end. Well, at least thats how it should seem. Sorry for keeping the lid on what's happening to Amato. Don't worry, you'll know soon enough. As always, praise, comment or criticize! Don't be afraid to tell me what seems out of place or which part you don't like about. I'll try to improve the story so that it appeals to everyone!**


	12. Pull Through, Amato!

******Author's Notes:**

******Hi, guys. I'm back again with the continuation of yet another chapter. Not much else to say besides that, though...**

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******Chapter 11: Pull through, Amato!**

******A Sacred Code.**

In a second, all the peace in the Zanna mansion erupted into chaos as the doors flew open and we charged in, with Amato in tow. As we charged in, members all around was shocked to see Amato in the state he is now.

"Please, Amato needs help!" Regina cried out before any one gave a word. That command drove everyone into action, as they snapped back to their senses and begin doing all they can to save their boss

"Oi! Don't just stand there! We need supplies, now!" Some random adult yelled out to some others.

"He's bleeding from the wounds again!" A girl in a suit cried out with a tone of surprise.

"We need to lay him down! So much moving for him is definitely not good!" Another voice yelled out from the crowd. I find myself following their orders and doing my best to contribute.

In the grand white halls of the mansion, the Mafia looked like ants in their black suits, though most of them is still panicking over the sudden news, their actions are co-operative and well-managed, moving together efficiently as a group. This is not what I expected. This does not seem to be the Mafia that people have to to know. It feels more like... Family. Not as in a Famiglia, but, as in a real family, one which you can sit down and talk to, to work and laugh together.

They all gave no indication, but the look on their faces tell me that they are just as worried about him as I do.

"Shouldn't we get him to the Hospital?" Regina asks out to the members, not showing any signs of fear in her tone or eyes. I guess she must be really worried.

"We do not know if moving him will make his condition worse, and we are certainly not equipped with the knowledge to make such decisions ourselves." One of the members stopped what he was doing to explain to us. "Doctor Rosalia and the Hospital of Venice has already been informed. All we can do is wait." He finishes his words before going back to attending to Amato.

Soon, Regina and I find ourselves waiting and looking after Amato, who was still unconscious, lying in his bed, in his rather empty room. Besides a cupboard, a bed, a clock and a bookshelf, the rest of the room was still bare, almost as though it was new. I find myself slowly pacing across the room to rid myself of having to wait through this. I only stopped when I took a look at Regina.

"Hey, Regina, you okay?" I called out while moving to her side. She spoken a word ever since the members did all they could to stabilize Amato's condition, and even then they said that it's still deteriorating. As I move my eyes towards Amato, I was slightly blinded by the deep orange ray shining into the room.

"It's getting late, maybe we should go home..." I gave out as I realized how late it was already.

"How can you still think of that?" Regina cried out suddenly, anger in her tone. I went a few steps back, surprised at her reaction, but I knew what I did wrong. "How can you leave when they said that he might... he might.." Her words stopped there. I think it was too hard for her to say it to my face. Her face was red with emotions and tears started streaming down.

"I'm sorry, we'll wait." I muttered, looking down towards the ground. I find myself trying to comfort her. I don't want to see my friend like this. A ringtone sounded across the room. It was Regina's cellphone.

The only reaction she gave was to ignore it.

A few minutes went by, and no voice, no words was given. Once in a while, a member of Amato's Famiglia would come and check on him, his wounds and his overall condition, but nothing else happened. Amato's white room was deeply saturated by the rays of the setting sun. Regina was sitting by Amato all the while, and I found myself taking a seat by the wall, the chairs given by the members.

Suddenly, a commotion can be heard from below. The ground floor, I think. I could hear chatter between the members before the doors into the mansion was pushed open, rather loudly. A few seconds later, the girl in the robes and maid outfit burst into the room, together with a handful of members.

"Kiera." I say out in surprise to her entrance.

"What's his condition?" Kiera say out in an almost desperate manner. The look in her eyes tell me that she knows what's gonna happen to Amato. "Two sniper bullet shells are lodged in his flesh, one near his left shoulder and another in his right arm. His condition is still going downhill without proper medical help." A member told her.

"Clank!"

The doors to the room suddenly burst open and smashed against the walls a second time.

"Valkyrie! I brought grave news! Doctor Ines Rosalia has left Venice upon request, she'll only return two days later!" He yelled out at us, unable to hold back what he was feeling. Everyone of us, Kiera, Regina and me included, stood with our eyes wide open with disbelief.

No way. The Head of the Venice Hospital and one of the best doctors in Venice is not available? I know how difficult it is to remove bullets from the flesh, and I don't think a sniper bullet makes it any easier. I can feel my heart beating faster just thinking about it. No, without help, without proper medical procedures, Amato's gonna.. gonna..

"Crash!"

Our silence was only cleared when Regina pushed a vase off of the cupboard beside the bed by accident.

...

"Everyone, the boss's life is in jeopardy! We need to do all we can to help!" She declares it like a true leader, in front of what I think is every member of Amato's Famiglia. Kiera was the first one to move when we were all still frozen in fear, surprise and disbelief. Giving out a sigh, she gathered her strength and pushed on with tenacity.

Wow. I wonder how she's still so strong.

"Wow." Similar words is given off by a familiar voice beside me. Regina stands, her eyes, though still showing concern, was at the same time glowing with admiration. "She's amazing..." Regina gives out with an impressed look on her face. I guess seeing Kiera so strong has calmed her down a bit.

That's right. There's no way that Amato's gonna die so easily. I've seen how he fights. He'll pull through.

Although, I might have let that confidence go to my head.

"All right, even without Doctor Rosalia, we still need to get him to the Hospital!" I said it out loudly, my words sounding a lot like an order. No wind blew through my hair as I saw the bulk of the Mafia Famiglia turn and look at me. It was strange, but I thought that they were going to be angry at my sudden order. I figured it was rude coming from a teenager like me.

"Yeah, the kid's got a point." A voice came from the crowd, dispelling the silence.

"We still need the medical facilities and proper medical knowledge on how to deal with this." A rather analytical point came from another.

I gave a quick glance as relief came to me, only to see Regina smiling and a smirk appearing on Kiera's face.

"All right, we'll follow his lead, began preparations, we're moving out!" Kiera declared soon after. The Famiglia roared as they moved now that they have a clearer objective.

I watched as the members changed Amato'a bandages, tidy his clothes and even gave him a bath. Well, not literally, I didn't actually see that. All the while I'm still surprised how it is all happening.

Is this what the Mafia really is? I just... don't understand it. It just seems so.. different. Regina soon find herself familiar enough to help them side by side, and I could feel her fear lessen bit by bit. As I was returning to help out myself, Kiera walked to my side.

"Uh.. Sorry for that order just now... I know it's rude.." I try to give an apology. That was when I found out that it wasn't needed.

"Do not fret, Mister Endoh. Nobody here wants Lord Amato to die." She says on with a smile as we continue our small observation. "I don't think things would be any different even if Lord Amato wasn't the boss. We care about him, it's as simple as that." The girl in her maid outfit gives me her explanation as she walks away with her eyes closed, proud and headstrong.

"Ah! Amato!" Regina's scream bought my attention, and I turned to see a horrendous sight. We were in the main hall now, ready to bring Amato out of the mansion. I saw from a distance, Amato falling off the stretcher he was in. The members scatter to give Amato some space as he started moving. I couldn't see it clearly. As I pushed my way through the members, the looks on their face was grim and in pain, but they were all looking at their boss. I could hear snippets of thrashing and tugging.

That was when I got right in front of him, and saw what was actually happening.

Amato looked like he was having a seizure, or at least, I think his muscles are twitching, particularly those near his wounds. Could it be that his senses suddenly returned and is now reacting to the wounds?

I watched as he struggled and twisted his body side to side, and was paralyzed by the fact of not knowing what I should do. In a few steps away I could see Regina shocked and afraid of what was happening. And I guess the rest of the members are feeling something similar. No one approached Amato as he continues his struggle, cause we don't know what can or cannot be done, especially in a situation like this. Amato's face show little emotions and his eyes were never opened. Is he.. still unconscious?

"He's bleeding again!" Regina's voice cut through us like a knife, and true enough, I could see his bandages getting soaked in a dye of crimson red.

"We need to help him!" I yelled out in reflex as I began moving towards Amato. Behind me, I could hear the members mobilizing. Most of them followed my footsteps while a few dash off to look for more supplies.

"Stop, Amato!" I find those words pushed out of my mouth as I try to stop the spasms. Holding down his arms proved more difficult than I imagined, gauging his strength as he struggled, it felt like he could throw my whole body off with just one hand. All the while, fear spread within me like a disease, my heart pumping quicker than I ever felt. Immediately, as I used both arms to restraint his left side, Kiera appeared to help hold down the right.

As she got close, I got a glimpse of her face in detail. Smooth, pale skin with golden hair, and tears slowly flowing down her eyes. She.. She was holding it back. That was when I decided that I must remain strong, stronger.

"Sigh... My, oh my, what's with all the ruckus?" A lazy voice suddenly fills the room, alerting all of us. The tone was that of a guy who could not be bothered. As confused as I was, I was still having a hard time holding down Amato, even with Kiera's help. Amidst the struggling, my vision caught sight of a guy lying on one of the beams high above supporting the roof. The guy was wearing a plain, dark-green flightjacket as well as a pair of blue jeans, lying on his side in a rather care-free position.

"Vito!" Kiera suddenly cries out.

"Vito's back!" A multitude of voices called out from the members, strangely sounding relieved.

"Vito! Get down here!" Kiera yells out as we both continued to hold down Amato and his erratic movements. The strange thing was that in her tone of voice, there was that same small hint of relief. The guy just casually hopped off the beam, which was almost two stories higher than us, by the way, and landed beside us, without as much as a soft 'thud'.

"My, oh my, first day on the job and he's already gotten two sniper bullets lodged into his flesh. Quite the boss, huh?" He says it out loudly and obnoxiously, almost like it was on purpose. Maybe it was.

"Just help him!" I can hear irritation from Kiera's voice.

"All right, all right, geez." He complained as he walked towards us in slow pace. "Hold him up." He gave out, drawing out a dagger of sorts. It had this metallic color all over, with a a clean, sharp blade as well as serrated ones. I don't get it. What is he trying to do? "Let go." He commanded, and immediately at those words, Kiera and I jumped to the sides.

That was when I saw the impossible, the unbelievable. In a swift motion, he slashed once at Amato's back to cut off the bandages, and twice once his bare back was revealed. I could hardly see his arm swinging. It looked like he was slashing Amato's back with a knife.

"What the hell is he doing?" I screamed out, unable to hold back my emotions.

"Wait." Kiera instructed me as she raise her arm to block my way. That was when I heard two faint clinks resonating from a spot near them. And in an instant I saw how he bandaged Amato's body as soon as his slash was done. I stood, confused and shocked at what was happening.

"Operation, complete." The laid-back guy announces with the same uninterested tone to his voice. I stumbled my way towards them and I was shocked once again upon seeing what made those sounds on the floor.

There, still covered in blood, was two metal bullets, expanded and deformed.

Soon, after we got Amato back into his room and into his bed, Regina and myself find ourselves back to where we were. The guy named 'Vito' was with us together with Kiera. Most of the members was told to return to what they were doing. That was when Kiera explained that the guy's a doctor, or at least, a doctor-in-training, and what happened.

"What? That was him performing an operation?" Regina and I cry out in unison.

"Yo, keep it down. I did all I can. Whether or not he pulls through now will ultimately depend on his will." The guy says so as he strolls out of the room, almost as if he don't care about his boss.

"Vito!" Kiera yells out as he left the room, before shaking her head.

"Uh, that guy's..." I hear Regina asking, slightly confused.

"Don't worry, he's part of the Famiglia." Kiera say out while walking towards and looking at Amato. Still covered in bandages, what was different is that he now looks a lot more peaceful as he lied in his bed. Turning towards Regina and myself, Kiera gave out a bow. "I thank you for what you have done for us today." It was highly formal and dignified.

"Um, can we stay just a bit longer?" Regina asked out, and I find myself following her. A nod from Kiera gives us the consent.

"Pull through, Amato!" I hear Regina whispering, almost like making a wish.

"I know he will." I barely hear Kiera whisper as she turned and looked at us and Amato one last time before leaving the room.

* * *

******Well, this chapter certainly turned out more differently than I had planned. Was it interesting? Did it confuse you guys at some point? Well, same as always, praise, comment or criticize in your reviews!**


	13. Holding Me Back

******Author's Note:**

******Sometimes, things come to me in an instant, both fresh and interesting. Sometimes, I stare at the screen or fidget my pen for hours at a time. I wonder how those writers do it? Or even, Manga-Ka who has to write up stories every week. Oh well, back to the story.**

* * *

******Chapter 12: Holding Me Back.**

I find myself waking up in a strange place. It was dark, and empty. Rubbing my eyes, I glanced at my surroundings. Blank. Empty, black space surrounds me for as far as my eyes could see. My head was drifting and spinning, I feel dizzy, like when I was riding the roller coaster. There was a hazy and tiring feel to everything, every action, everywhere I looked, and every thought that flows through my mind. As I struggled, getting on my feet, pain wrecked my body. Soft throbs pulsed from my hands, my arms, to my back. The throbbing only escalates the dizziness. For some reason, I started walking, pace by pace, step by step, my legs wobble as they go.

I find myself staring at my right hand. The strange feeling of disinterest struck me as weird as I closed and open my palm, slowly. My body feel cold all over.

Why am I walking? The thoughts flowing in and out are blurred and makes no sense. I can't remember anything.

Suddenly, I feel warmth coming from behind me. It was soft, gentle. Caressing my pained body with its soft presence, I find it hard to resist and turned towards it.

As soon as the light came into view, A tall, pillar of light shine greets me with its blinding rays. It felt grand, powerful, warm and pleasant. Its appearance compels me to start moving towards it. Even from a distant away, I could feel the gentle warmth emitting from its center. The feeling is.. nice, peaceful. I walked on with no thoughts, no decision, I just feel drawn towards the light, the warmth.

What was I doing before this? Why am I here? I don't know. All the questions comes into my thoughts, but the warmth just push it all away. Its like my body is doing what it wants without my consent, to rid itself of this bitter coldness and to be embraced by the only source of warmth now present before me.

It was still a ways before I reach it, but then, I felt something else. I hear a soft sound. I can't rightly make out what it is, but the sound is enough to make me doubt what I'm doing.

It sounds... like... crying?

That was when my empty steps brought me to an item, that seemingly appeared on the ground. It was... a hairpin? It looked small, and was covered with red hearts in it design. It looked well-kept. As I picked it up, I have a certain feeling of nostalgia, like I had seen this item a very long time ago. That was when the memory suddenly came into my mind. Though my senses dull, the memory was crystal clear and just as sharp.

___I think I was five years old then, things were still simple. I wasn't introduced to the Mafia yet. I remember how I would find myself wandering into the park whenever Dad brought me out. Back then it looked like adventure whenever I climbed the poles or went through the slide. I would run and run around the place till I fall down on the ground exhausted._

___The memory starts on a summer day. I can even hear the sounds of the insects buzzing like they were right in front of me. For some reason, I wasn't as hyperactive that day, and sat by the bench, watching the other kids play. That day was different, Dad wasn't with me. I was feeling a bit lonely and afraid as I went to the park alone. Now that I think about it, Dad probably dispersed some members of the Famiglia there to watch out for me._

___As I strolled through the park, I came across a girl who was crying. She was sitting there by herself, on the ground, sobbing away. Her short, black bangs was beautiful, as they flow with the wind. _

___"Hey, don't cry." I called out to her, hoping to stop the flow of tears. And she did, and with it, I saw her emerald green eyes, which seemed to glow even in the light of the sun. She was wearing a cute little yellow dress, which gives off a calm atmosphere around her. "_

___Sniff.. Sniff." She wiped away her tears and got back on her feet, albeit softly and slowly, and got to my side._

_"__What's wrong?" I asked out, smiling._

___"The hairpin my father bought me... I lost it..." The girl whimpers beside me. _

___"Where did you lose it? I asked out curiously. _

___"Somewhere in this park.." She meekly gave out the answer._

_"__Then the answer is simple: I'll find it for you!" I declared out loudly. The girl looked surprised when I shouted it out, but soon, her frown turned upside down._

___Hah, the slew of memories that came after was all of me trying to find the hairpin, combing the park as much as I can. I looked into every bush, I searched every single tree there was in the park, I even dived into the pond when I thought I saw something shiny that might've been the hairpin. Every time, the girl was with me, following me around as I looked. She didn't help much, but it was okay. 'Us boys should do these kind of stuff, so that the girls won't have to dirty themselves.' was what I was thinking then. _

___The sight of a five year-old boy jumping into the pond was quite the sight indeed! By the end of the day, we finally found it under one of the trees we searched, and by then, my body was covered with mud, grime and small cuts and bruises. _

___"See, I told you I'____'d____ find it!" I presented it to her with a smile, before giving off a loud sneeze. That made both of us laugh. _

___"Thank you." She whispered as she bowed towards me before running back home. As she did, she turned one last time to give me a smile. Unlike anything before, gone was her shy smile, as it was now replaced by one of confidence and joy._

As the images finished, my body was still moving towards the light. Its warmth is still too alluring, and I feel a deep desire to bathe in it. I wandered on, the feeling of being lost and disinterest still remains. It felt so surreal, the background, though black as night, was also hazy and blurry at the same time. Each step I took made me feel like I could fall of into the darkness at anytime. There were these puffs of white smoke that seems to drift out from the light, somehow making it feel majestic. The lights itself seems to move and shift from their positions with a mind of their own.

That was when the hairpin vanished from my hand. It literally looked like it dissolved into sand and was blown away, leaving me confused. Then the crying resonated once again, this time I could figure out that it was a female voice.

Who's... who's crying? Why?

That was when something floated into my hand. It was in a soft red color. The item stopped my steps with a pause, as it too brought its own set of memories. I wonder why these memories seems to come together with these objects? It was a ribbon, and it looked really, really familiar, but, no one comes into my mind even when I dug deep into my thoughts. Soon, I find my steps halting as I was overwhelmed by the memories that is now flowing into my thoughts.

___That was the first time I went into the backyard of the Zanna mansion. Back then, I was eleven years-old, and Dad had already gone missing for a year. I had already moved into the mansion, and had been informed of the Mafia and what I was to become in the future. I walked into this space filled with grass, bushes and trees with the Tear of the Zanna around my neck. I couldn't actually believe that this whole space was behind the mansion. It was like a whole forest behind the mansion. ____Beside me____ was with the girl who was said to be my caretaker, though she looks smaller than me. She has that red ribbon on the left side of the head._

_"__Here." Kiera said calmly, tossing me something that I would have never thought myself wielding, ever. As it twisted through the air, I could see white streaks as well as black. Catching it after I nearly dropped it, I was so surprised. It was a pistol, or a handgun, whatever you prefer to call it. The design looks... unique; jagged edges with a small bundle of fur ____dangling from the grip____. _

___I don't know why, but it reminded me of a wolf. _

___Suddenly, a pulse of energy seemed to radiate out of the gun, at a fast speed._

___"Huh! Wha-what's this?" I called out with a surprised tone._

___"Fenris." Kiera gave out while standing at the side, eyes closed with her standing in a formal stance. She seemed completely unaffected by what just happened. _

___"What?" I was confused, I don't know what I should be doing exactly... _

___"Invoke the name." She gave out coldly, still as serious as ever. I stared at Kiera and her uniform as I wondered why she's so serious all the time. Come on, no one actually has a personality like that, right?_

_"__Is there a problem?" Kiera questioned, finally opening her eyes to check. _

___"No, I just think that ribbon's really cute." I gave out without thinking. That was the first time Kiera showed a genuine emotion , her cheeks flushed with a tiny bit of red as she turns to avoid my gaze. _

___She looks.. cute.. It's no smile, but it's a start. I remember giving out a sigh before doing as I was instructed. That was when I Awakened for the first time ever._

_"__Fenris!"_

___The force given out was such a sudden turn of event for me, its strength so powerful, I screamed out trying to contain it, as it surges into my body. _

___"Aaaahhhhhh!" I yelled out, as the waves pulsed out, pushing some rocks and stones away, as well as the grass showing the effects of the force. I was even finding it hard just to hold on to Fenris. Even Kiera looked a bit surprised as the aura formed around me. I remember how exhausted I was after the whole thing. _

___Well, that was the first step in which Kiera started opening up to me. Training for full control of of the Awakening was difficult, but with Kiera by my side, I managed to complete it with no worries._

This time, as soon as the images end, the ribbon disappeared in the exact same way as the hairpin. Even though memories of my father, my Famiglia and Kiera, bits by bits, are coming back to me, I still find myself almost like I was in a trance, and started walking towards the light again. Part me wanted to stop, part of me was now afraid of what was gonna happen when I actually reached it, but nevertheless, I continued.

Pain was still throbbing in intervals and my movements are still as wobbly. It looked impossible, but the lights and smoke seemed more grand than ever. As I got closer, the light faded a bit to reveal a blueish-white door. The door by itself looked magnificent, towering over me like a giant. Griffins, dragons and angels were sculpted all over the edges of the door. The light, now brighter than ever, seemed to glow golden and has a holy feel to it. The warmth feels so inviting...

By now, the crying had gotten louder. I...I know who's voice is it. It's Kiera's. Kiera's crying.

"Kiera!" I forced myself to shout amidst this pain and fatigue.

In another sudden turn, I dodged to the sides and caught in my hand something that seemed to be flying towards me. It was a baseball, it looked worn and had a couple of small bloodstains here and there. This time, I know where this comes from even before the memories started flowing in. This was from the time I first met my best friend. There were some really strong memories attached to it. As I stopped a few steps from the entrance, again, the memories started bursting in, filling my mind with images of what happened then.

___I just entered seventh grade. School has been difficult. I had to concentrate on homework and studies even after my training everyday, and because of that, my grades dropped a lot over the years. That year, as I entered the class, I already had a sort of a reputation where other students thinks I'm actually stupid. Because of that, I had little to no friends. I don't mind though, I didn't have the time nor do I want to involve them with any of the Mafia stuff._

___The only guy who talked to me was Sergio. To be honest, he talked to pretty much everyone. He was helpful, nice, kind, and handsome, so it's no surprise that he got really popular, really fast. Everyday, he would walk towards me with intention to offer help for my studies. I guess he found out about my grades. Through this small tuition relationship, I learned of his belief, his 'Bushido Code' which seemed really noble._

___Well, one day, when I was walking home, I saw Sergio getting beaten up behind an alley. _

___"This is what you get for trying to be 'Hero'!" The thugs, who was no older than me, shouted out as the rain fists down on Sergio. _

___"Protect the weak? Hilarious!" Some other guy exclaimed loudly, sounding annoyed, as he went in to punch Sergio. Sergio wasn't weak or anything though, even as he was taking blows from about six people at once, and bleeding, he retaliate whenever he could. As the guy went in for the strike, throwing that punch, Sergio dodged the strike with wobbly movements, and gave him a knee up his stomach instead. Still, as I looked on, it was fairly obvious that Sergio was getting beaten down by the overwhelming odds._

___I wanted to help. But back then, I only had a red belt in Tae-Kwon-Do, so I was still afraid to engage in fights. Still I couldn't leave him there, so I did what I could. I brng out my baseball from my back pack, and aimed for the closest thug. Then, I threw it as hard as I could before charging in. _

_"____Smack!"_

___"Yaarrrggghhhh!" I roared as I charged, giving the same guy I hit in the face with the baseball a front kick into the stomach. _

___"Amato!" Sergio gave out with a surprised face as I got to his side._

___After that, we stood together against about twelve thugs behind the alley. I think we bonded a bit in that fight, blocking fists and trading blows as much as we could. I couldn't actually remember how many times I picked up that baseball and threw it against the attackers. By the end of the day, we were covered with bruises and blood, but we also had the same smile on our faces._

_"__Thanks." Sergio gave out, as we knocked our elbows together before going home. I think that event was what made our relationship as best friends possible._

As I reminisced the memory, a small smile just stretched across my face. I find myself holding on the the baseball, and then pitching it as hard as I can before it disappeared in mid flight. As I remembered more of my memories, I felt a need to turn around. Yet, the light still pulls me in nonetheless. With the warmth, my feelings seems to go away, and my thoughts just scatter. With the pain still throbbing, each throb as loud as the sound of my heartbeat, I made my way in front of the door of light.

When I was there, it felt like it was the end of a long journey. It felt like nothing else mattered anymore. I was tired, fatigued, dizzy and in pain. It just felt like it was time to stop. The light, flashing, flowing, was so welcoming in its glow. I just feel like falling through it.

Just when felt that that was it, that it was time to stop, to end, I felt a sudden tug just as I was losing strength and falling.

I turn and saw my friends, Kiera, Sergio and Gina, holding me back. Each of them had a life-like glow of light around them. Kiera was holding on my right wrist, Sergio was tugging my shirt back, and Gina was holding my left hand tightly with her right hand.

That was when everything disappeared and my consciousness just blanked out.

...

"Sniff..." I could hear the crying once more, this time clearer than ever.

"Sniff... Sniff..." The sobs went on, slowly. I felt cool, and the pain had lessened. As I opened my eyes, my vision slowly came back to me. A white scene. It felt safe. As the haze cleared, I could see Kiera sitting beside me on my left, putting both her hands on her lap and tears were slowly flowing down her cheeks. She is in her usual outfit, but somehow she just seems so normal.

I don't know why, but I feel this sense of happiness as I find myself lying on my bed in my room. Kiera hasn't open her eyes yet, and I haven't made a sound. Without thinking, I find myself raising my left hand to her face, and wiping away her tears. She opened her eyes wide with surprise as it happened.

"Kiera, I'm fine. It's good to see you again." I gave out in a soft voice. As she regained herself, she quickly turned to the sides and wiped away her tears.

"I'm happy to see that you're fine too, Lord Amato." She's still acting as strong as ever, but I know I heard joy in her tone.

A few days later, I was standing in the mansion, fully recovered. Sergio and Gina had come to visit. They were both so happy they started crying when they saw me, and that made me felt weird, I never had friends who cried for me before.

"What? I was out for three weeks?" I yelled out, shocked at the time I spent unconscious.

"Ya sure made a grand show on your first day, boss..." Vito gave out as he passed us on his way to the mansion's study.

"And Vito's back as well..." I muttered as I wondered if he helped. Together, Sergio, Gina and I catch up with each other, and soon, the mansion was filled with our chatter and laughter. Even Kiera had a smile on her face when she stood by my side. It felt like the whole thing never happened.

Well, I'm just glad I made it through!

* * *

******Yes, the end of the 'Duty' arc, as in the duty Amato has as boss! Surviving through these things every day should be something common for him and his famiglia! Well, I think there's been enough action for a while, what do you guys think? As usual, praise, comment, or criticize in your reviews!**


	14. The New Guy

******Author's Note:**

******Hi guys, I'm back again with another chapter. Still no comments? Does this mean there's no problem with my writing at all? Oh well. It's the start of a new arc! It's gonna be something different! Now sit back, and enjoy the story!**

* * *

******Chapter 13: The New Guy.**

"Make sure you have this jotted down, it's bound to come up for your Mid-terms!" Our teacher bellowed as she goes through each point there is on the subject, using the metal pointer in her hands to reinforce her words. The constant tapping produced when the pointer snapped against the board is somewhat annoying.

After everything that has happened, everyday life still continues on. I find myself constantly scratching my head, having trouble grasping what the teacher is revising, as well as frantically writing down what I should. Basically, I'm just as I was before I took up my title.

The afternoon sun, now starting to lose it's heat due to the coming winter, is still as bright as ever. The ticking hand of the clock on the wall carries on its path, the sound magnified in this silent place, and only seems to stress me out even more.

"Grr..." I growled without thinking as I struggled with the revision. Darn it! Three weeks gone, just like that! I needed those!

As the class ended and lunch-break begins, I find myself slumped on my table due to the overwhelming revision. Sigh, why do I still come to school anyways? Moving my body only reminded me of what has happened with aches and cracks. The wounds caused by the bullets are healing, thought not quite done yet.

"Oww..." I whined softly beneath my breath as I shifted my left shoulder.

"Look, there he is!" A group of girls shrill out in excitement from the door.

"He's so dreamy..." Another girl somewhere in this classroom loudly exclaimed.

"And he's talented too!" They cry out as if I or anyone else wanted to know.

Who are they referring to, you might ask? Well, something happened when I was out in those three weeks. Apparently, a student transfered here. I don't exactly know where he came from, from what they've been saying, it seems like one of those Elites. I heard from Sergio that within just one day, the whole girl's population in Venice High was fawning over him like flies drawn to a lamp.

The only one that wasn't smitten by him was Gina, and because of that-

"Hey, you're that guy who was injured, right?" A casual tone speak out to me.

Ugh. Speak of the devil. I pull my face from the table to come face to face with the guy. He has soft-colored blond hair, short but shaggy, and a pair of light-brown eyes that seem to be glowing. He has this track suit on that gives off a sporty feel to his personality. As he stands, he had this smile on his face all the time. There was something strange though, he always seems to carry this long object behind him, wrapped in a black cloth, slung over his shoulders.

"Yeah, hi. My name is Amato Zanna." I say it out while concealing what I really feel about the guy, not really worth throwing away my manners here, actually.

"Hi, the name's Johann, Johann Jacapo." He gave out with another beam of his smile. I can see the eyes of the girls standing a distance away. They look jealous, with the new guy talking to me instead of them, and they also look like they want me out of the picture. I think I just felt a shiver down my spine.

"And I'm in love with Regina Conti!" The guy suddenly yells out, throwing his arm to the sides, as if his intention was to tell the world.

"WHAT?" I find myself yelling out without thinking, jumping up from my seat.

Now you understand why I was so annoyed by the guy. I still remember what Sergio said, yesterday back at the mansion.

_"__Pst, you need to work harder." Sergio pulled me away from Gina while she was chatting with Kiera and whispered into my ears. _

___Naturally, with such a vague statement, I got confused. _

___"What?" I asked out, trying to figure out what exactly does he mean. _

___"New events occurred when you were lying in your bed, particularly the one concerning the new transfer student." Sergio tries to give a proper explanation while giving a glance towards Gina every few seconds. Is this news that big of a deal? "The guy's declared that he's fallen for Gina and he'll stop at nothing to steal her heart!" Sergio whispered, but even from his soft voice I could hear a sense of urgency in it. _

___"That sounds like something out of a fairytale!" I exclaimed almost immediately, my tone of voice giving off a fairly obvious sign that I was getting worried._

_"__You have your work cut out for you, my friend." Sergio gives out his final words of encouragement before returning towards the other two, though they didn't seem to do much encouraging._

I turn around and see that the class, both boys and girls, were surprised to hear what he said. Now, I could hear the chatter of the students amidst the sounds of everything else, and it made me feel even more stressed than I actually was. I don't know why, but after hearing him say those words, I felt really annoyed, or was it afraid? I can feel my emotions rising higher than they ever had, my blood rushing to my head like a volcano.

"YOU STAY AWAY FROM GINA!" I suddenly yell out a second time, my left hand pointing at Johann. My face was bright red and I felt warm and dizzy, like when I was having a fever. The class only had their eyes grow bigger at what just happened.

Suddenly, the whole class went quiet. As the sun shine into the room via the windows, it felt like the whole scene froze for a good length of time.

"Um.. Um..." A voice suddenly cuts through the silence awkwardness. I turn to see Gina standing up from her seat, her face rapidly getting red from the recent event. Her hands, her fingers, are now fidgeting with each other, as if trying hard to distract herself from the present situation.

I didn't know what to do, I was still too flustered.

Gina slowly backed away from the two of us in a strangely comical way. When Johann saw her, he tried to approach her, that smile on his face never faltering.

"Regina!" He gave out, and I think that was a mistake, because as straight after the word finished, Gina turned and ran out of the room, her face beet-red.

"Regina! Wait up!" Johann called out as he followed in her direction. Seriously, it's like nothing fazes him. As he ran, his baggy track suit bounces as the last sight of the object and its black cloth.

Unlike Johann, I needed a few moments to recover from what happened, and when I realized what I did, I find myself slumped in my seat instead of going after Gina.

"Why.. Why did I do that?" I whispered to myself, confused as I was. I just felt so.. so jealous. Why? I never felt this way before when other guys approached Gina, so why did I start now? It seems a good number of students also followed Gina out of the class, so now the plain walls is accompanied by a silence similar to before.

It's just, Johann's face, that smile, his looks, the way he talks, everything about him just makes me want to hit him in the face, but I know I can't.

"Argh, this is giving me a headache!" I cried out, cluching and rubbing the sides of my head with my hands. Well, it's still a ways off till the afternoon classes start, maybe I'll go grab a drink or something.

As I made my way towards the vending machine, I heard familiar voices talking. As I got closer, I saw that the voice was Gina's and Johann's. Because of that, I made it a point to keep myself concealed as I got closer to eavesdrop on what they were saying. I know, I feel disgusted by my own actions too. Well, I did, until I heard laughter coming from them.

"Hey, I was thinking of going downtown after school today, you wanna come with?" Johann asked out casually in between his laughter and jokes. Though she hesitated for a second, Regina gave her answer with a smile. "Sure!"

That was the last straw. All that has happened are tell-tale signs of a date. After that, my desires took over my reasoning. Amidst the flooding emotions, I really wanted to jump right in right there and just interrupt the guy, but unfortunately I still retained enough logic to realize that it would have ended badly, particularly for me. As the wind blew against my body while I was hiding behind the stone pillar, I ignored the cold and watched as they walked away together before doing the same. All the while, one sentence was constantly repeated in my mind as my steps moved one after another.

I need to do everything I can to stop him!

* * *

******Well, technically, the new arc hasn't started. Now, in-between arcs I may add in these 'Extra' chapters that tell a little bit of story, slice-of-life, or just for comedy and humor. I thought that after so much action and serious stuff that happened, toning down a bit with some humor and slice-of-life would be the best way to go. Please, tell me how you guys feel about it in your reviews!**


	15. Looking Out For Her

******Author's Note:**

******All right, as you have read from the previous chapter, Amato can become pretty possessive... I thought that he needs a flaw in order to have a more realistic and believable personality. Cause not everyone has that passive and nice personality all the time. What do you guys think?**

* * *

******Chapter 14: Looking Out For Her**

I was leaning against a wall. I can feel the cold-hard and stony surface brush against my cheeks as I pressed my face to get a closer look around the corner. Cold wind chill my body and goosebumps surfaced on my skin, but I didn't care. I wonder what was the public's reaction when they see what I was doing? No matter, I was too focused on one thing: What Johann and Gina were doing. I shifted my eyes to see them walking the path towards Downtown Venice, chatting away as if they were close friends.

"Tsk.." I gave out unconsciously as I was annoyed.

Why am I doing this? Questions flooded into my mind as reason and desire comes into a conflict. Deep down, I was also regretting the fact that I hadn't been working hard enough to get close to Gina. I think I can feel a few eyes on me now. A quick glance shows a couple of passer-bys looking at me with caution. Bah, no time for that now!

"Hah! I wondered what would be your reaction but I never expected this!" A familiar voice yells out from behind me. I was lucky that I followed Johann and Gina far away a distance that they couldn't hear the yell. I turned to see Sergio shaking his head with a grin on his face. "Stalking, huh? Desperate, much?" He enquires half-jokingly.

Hm, now that I think about it, I didn't see him in school today, I wonder why?

"Shut up." I gave out in response to his words, turning back to resume what I was doing. "I'm.. I'm not stalking.." I meekly gave out as I ran through the word in my mind more seriously. I could see that the pair, no, not a pair. Gina and that guy, entering the Music shop. "I'm.. just.. Looking out for her!" I declared, trying hard to sound as righteous as possible.

"Whatever you say, bro." Sergio knocks off my answer like it meant nothing. It's obvious that he's clearly not buying it.

"They've gone in!" I called out rather loudly as Gina went out of sight. "C'mon!" I cried out to Sergio before proceeding towards the shop myself.

"Wait a minute, you want me to follow my best friend and stalk my other friend?" Sergio analysed the situation rather calmly, and I could even hear a tone of sarcasm in his voice. I pulled his shirt with me without another word.

The door slid open and a wave of cold air was pushed against my face, the lights of the interior of the shop shine with a multitude of colors, changing them every few minutes. As one of the bigger Music shops in Venice, CDs fills my sight by the rows as I strolled in carefully, making sure Gina wouldn't be able to see me entering. Sergio had given up putting any for of resistance against what I'm doing and is now right behind me, following my steps, though he still has that look on his face that scoffs at how ridiculous this whole act is.

I don't care how stupid I look, I just don't want Gina to be hanging out with that guy! As I moved between the rows of CDs, crouching down and trying hard to maintain my sight on them while avoiding theirs, I could see how well the two of them are hitting off with each other.

"Hey, your favourite music genre's Classical?" Gina says so with a smile, looking surprised after hearing it from Johann. "I would've never pictured it!" Gina exclaimed, looking at Johann's track suit.

Yeah, I wouldn't either.

"Why is Gina so accepting of the guy?" I whispered under my own breath as my fingers fidget the CDs available, picking them up one at a time and pretending to be interested in them. Where we stand, we are about six meters away from the section Johann and Gina is standing.

"Regina has always been this nice..." Sergio answered as he browsed through the racks in front of us, scanning through for his favourite bands. He doesn't look half-interested in our little recon. The music coming from the boomboxes of the store was loud, and it was getting difficult for me to make out what they were talking about. All I could see was the two of them chatting and laughing as if they were made for each other. Deep inside, I was starting to feel less anger and irritation, and more fear.

But, I refuse to believe it until I see it with my own eyes!

"Hey, I didn't know this was out already!" Sergio suddenly gave out as his eyes caught sight of a newly released album from one of the bands he's following. That was when I saw Johann bought a CD and left through the entrance.

"All right, we're going." I announced, this time with much clearer tone. I'm not really sure why.

"What? Can't you at least let me buy this first?" Sergio called out as he picks up the CD he wanted and heads towards the counter. I pulled his shirt once again and heads towards the exit without another word. "He-hey!" Sergio called out as he struggled. "Come on! Where'd ya get this strength from?" He cries out as he tosses the disc at one of the many clerks staring at us as we head out the door, looking really upset that he couldn't buy it.

I think I'll apologize later but right now, this is more important.

"Man, I really wanted that album.." Sergio whined as we trotted to the park, his face showing slight disappointment. I only find myself concentrating my vision on where Johann and Gina is. They seemed to have stopped by a bench, resting perhaps. As I struggled to get a better vision through the bush, I find myself wondering why I'm doing this. Is it because I lack the confidence? That I'm afraid of what might happen if Gina falls for him?

The smell of the grass, so absent in the city of Venice, gives off a calm and soothing feeling even as I was crouching behind a bush. Occasionally, huge wind would blow and the leaves would sway as if pushed along for the journey started by the wind.

"Hey, I'll be back with some warm drinks, okay?" Johann calls out as he was already a few steps away, waving back to Gina as he heads towards the vending machine. I could see Gina looking at the scenery of the park, and she has this slightly regretful look on her face. Sometimes Gina would turn towards my direction like she knew I was here, only to look away as I hid back into the bush.

"Is something bothering her?" I asked out to Sergio, who was standing behind me, leaning against a tree. It seems he didn't need to look to know what's happening. Sergio gave no answer to my question, and silence fills the scene before Johann returned.

"Here. You wanted tea, right?" Johann asked out, his smile still as vibrant as ever, handing the can to Gina.

"Thanks." Gina replied softly. Somehow I can feel that she's less happy now than before, I wonder why? Then, I could see Johann slowly move his hand and try to put it on Gina's shoulder.

No time to think about whether I should or should not do it! In the hatse of my thoughts, I picked up a stone from the ground and held on to Fenris holstered behind my overshirt, With my senses sharpened, I tossed it in a swift, hard motion, aiming for his hand just before it touches Gina's shoulder.

"Hgh.." Johann gave out as his hand twitched back from the hit, immediately pulling it back to his side.

"Ha ha! You're not gonna get away with anything like that!" I exclaimed softly at my small success. He made it an effort to not show the hit or what he was trying to do before to Gina, which works better for me as well. When it seemed to be the end of this little get-together of theirs, Johann pulled another card up his sleeve.

"Hey, why don't we go see the new batting cages that was recently set-up near here?" As Gina agreed to go, they started moving out of the park.

"Time to move." I ordered, now more calm and confident as ever. Maybe it's because nothing much has happened today.

"You can be a little harsh, you know?" Sergio gave out as we followed Johann and Gina's fotsteps a distance away. I responded with a smile, that's not really a bad thing, right?

The sound of bats coming in contact with baseballs fills the air and overpowers what other sounds were present. The musty smells of bats and sweat is everywhere. Still, for a baseball fan, this place would be a great place to be. It was much easier to hide between the cages. I watched as Johann and Gina took turns trying to go against the machine.

Now I understood why they say he's talented. As each ball is pitched from the machine, I could see Johann's eyes furrow into ones of seriousness as it got close. With a switch from his casual stance and one swift swing, he knocked it with the strength that would hit the ball out of the field, should he have been playing in a real game. It almost looked inhuman.

Gina, not so much. She had trouble lifting the bat. I find no qualms with that, I never expected her to be the sporty type, she seemed calm and kind. What I find it hard to understand is why she agreed to come to this place.

"Here, I'll show you how.." Johann gave out suddenly, surprising me, Sergio and even Gina, as he got close to her and held her hands with his. One of the oldest trick in the book. His actions and looks can be interpreted as someone really trying to help, as it showed no other signs beside a genuine smile. Still, it's not something every girl would agree to, especially Gina. At his touch, Gina blushed as the color red fills her face.

"Um.. it's okay.. Johann.." I can see that Gina is feeling uncomfortable at the turn of event. But, I could also see that she had little strength to pull away from Johann. That creep!

No way I'm letting this continue! Even before those thoughts finished, my legs had already started moving. Sergio followed behind with quickened steps.

"Hey, what a coincidence meeting you guys here." I said so as naturally as possible, getting a grip on Johann's left wrist. That made him step back from what he was doing, which was a relief.

"Hey, Zanna, right?" He called back casually, as if we're old friends.

"Amato! What are you doing here?" Gina asked out in surprise after she collected herself from what happened.

"I was just in the neighborhood with Sergio." I gave a not-so-much-as-a-lie explanation.

"Yo." Sergio greeted Regina with a raise of his palm. Sergio can remain calm in the strangest times. Still, I needed to get Johann away from Gina.

"Hey, I bet I could score more than you can, Johann!" I issued my challenge hoping he'll buy it.

"You're on!" He gave his reply with fire in his eyes.

Soon, we were trying hard to beat each other's score by hitting as many balls as we could. Unknown to me, Sergio and Gina chatted up a bit behind us. With all that was happening, I couldn't make out the words. I'm sure it's nothing.

"It's strange how well their getting along with each other despite the little rivalry they had." Sergio declared as he continues to observe what we were doing.

"Yeah.." Gina replied meekly, her face still a bit flushed from what happened.

"You did all this just so you could get Amato to cut in?" Sergio questioned Gina with a rather worried tone as he turned to look at her. Gina replied back with a peace sign and a wink.

"Sometimes, you can be a little too cunning, you know?" Sergio replied with a shake of his head. Gina ignored what he said and turned back to look at Amato with a smile on her face. As Johann and I took our turns taking on the machine, smiles eventually grew on our faces as we competed with each other. It wasn't long before Sergio and Gina started cheering us on.

"Did you tell him about it already...?" Sergio asks out in-between cheers. Gina suddenly stood surprised, before hitting herself on the head.

"Oh no.. I forgot.." She gave out as if struck by realization.

As the day ended, the four of us went our seperate ways, deciding it's best to go home before it gets dark. As I walked towards the mansion, I could see Sergio walking with his eyes closed with a smile on his face. I wonder what's up?

"Oh boy, this is gonna be one heck of a Culture Festival..." Sergio gave out before he disappeared into the streets.

* * *

******The end of another 'Extra' chapter! What's gonna happen during the Culture Festival? And what's gonna be in store for this little rivalry between Amato and Johann? Well, you're not gonna get those answers here from me today! As usual, praise, comment or criticize in your reviews!**


	16. Final Rehearsals

******Author's Note:**

******School plays are common, right? The themes for such plays usually revolves around that which is difficult to see in real life. As such, love, war, deceit are some of the themes you can find in school plays from anywhere. Coveted roles such as the lead or the female lead usually causes alot of drama between students, especially those which kissing scenes, and that is exactly what I want to portray!**

* * *

******Chapter 15: Final Rehearsals**

I sat in my own seat, thinking over the influx of news I got today. You guys would think this to be an ordinary day, and I'll be in my classroom. Only it wasn't. It was dark. I could feel cool breeze blowing against my skin as the light dims to give off a sense of atmosphere. I was in the theatre. It's now the final rehearsal for the School Play, which is said to be the main event for the School's Culture Festival for the next three days.

Which I've forgotten. Darn. I remember in my mind exactly what happened when the class gave their final confirmation on who's gonna do what tomorrow. I remember exactly the words that were spoken.

* * *

_"____Are all the preparations done?" Our class president yells out, her voice enough to shake those sleeping wide awake. "Test of Marksmanship?" She gave out, listing down the first of the stalls we would be putting up for the Festival. _

___"Yes, we have all the guns, ammo and targets, as well as the prizes, ready!" A group of guys replied almost immediately, a slight tone of fear in their voice._

_"____Next up, Test of Speed?" Her voice boomed across the room once more. _

___"We have cleared all variables." One of the more studious groups replied. The girl show no signs of being intimidated while shifting her glasses._

_"____Test of Strength?" The next question came out straight after the reply. A group of burly guys smiled and laughed with each other, knocking their fists as they replied. _

___"Oh yeah, they're gonna need to be real strong to win our prizes!" They joked to each other._

_"____Test of Luck?" The president continued, moving on to the nest stall that we'll be setting up. _

___"O____o____h, o____o____h! here!" Surprisingly, Gina was the one who raised her hand in excitement. "We're done with the preparations as well!" She gave out with a smile. She seemed really excited for the Festival._

_"____Test of Wits?" Another question comes up, making me wonder just how many game stalls we'll be putting up. Seems a lot, as ____the ____other classes just put up an attraction like a Haunted House or ____a Cafe____, yet we're putting up five? _

___"Yeah, we're ready as well." An unexpected voice replied, it was Sergio's. He's looking as calm as ever, but somehow I could feel a hint of excitement from him as well._

___What's with all the names, they're just game stalls, right? I sat in my seat, slumped after going through the class just now. Unfortunately, they planned almost everything while I was out in the past three weeks, so I don't think I'll be doing anything at all. As I was staring out the window, letting my mind wander at the scenery outside, the Pre____z____ list____ed____ out the last stall._

_"____Test of Skill?" The question, although the same as the others, brought about some chuckles and laughs. _

___Wait, w____hy ____are they laughing____?_

___Just as my attention span was dyng off, the sight of my vision fading as my eyelids droop down to a close, I felt a hand grab my shoulders and pull me up from my seat. _

___"Yeah, he's ____ready____, too." That was when I realized it was Sergio who had his hands on my shoulders, ____agreeing on my behalf____. _

___"Wh-What?" I called out, waking up from my slump. ____I certainly didn't hear of any of this!___

___"We had everything set-up while you were not present, you just need to be the target for the Festival." The Class Prez tell it to my face, now standing in front of me. _

___"W____ai____t, ____what____?! ____A target for what exactly____?!" I yelled out ____as I started panicking____. Obviously, I did____n'____t expect this. Perhaps I should've. ____T____his does sound like something the Prez would do._

_"____Dunk Tank."_

_"____WHAT? HOW THE HECK IS THAT A TEST OF SKILL?" I yelled out amidst the laughter and cheers of my ____fellow____ class____mates, all of whom were in unanimous agreement____._

* * *

"Sigh..." Back at my seat, I feel really tired and zoned out as the thoughts danced in my mind. I wasn't paying much attention to the play.

"It's starting!" Sergio say out like a child excited for a toy. I guess it's starting. The lights dimmed down even further, and I think I could see smoke gently emitting from the stage.

I gotta say, they're doing a really good job producing ambiance and atmosphere.

I watched on, my interest slowly building up as the curtains to the stage slowly opened itself, the light of the play coming into my eyes. Sergio sat right beside me, his eyes even wider than mine. He has said that he's always interested in plays like this. I didn't believe him back then, but now, I think he was telling the truth.

Wait, why am I even here? I hate plays!

That was when the lights moved, the sounds shifted, all for the entrance of the female lead of the play. She stood out into the light, with a light-blue dress that had none of those unnecessary accessories so commonly seen. Though there's patches here and there, she still managed to make the whole thing look stunning. Her hair was braided from one end to the other, yet her look was unimaginably simple and pleasant. Her green eyes, no longer as bright as usual, perfectly portrays the role she's supposed to play. That of a poor peasant girl. The dark, lush ends swayed with each step she took, mesmerizing the audience as she got to her rightful place on stage.

"...Wow..." I unconsciously gave out as I stared on with my jaws dropped. A short glance all around revealed the same reaction from most of the audience.

Sergio only smiled and chuckled at what occured, seemingly unaffected by the sight.

Then, it was time for the main lead to show up, and just the thought brought out a feeling of annoyance chewing at my heart. As the rehearsal continued, I remember what Gina had told me.

_"____Final rehearsals for the School Play?" I asked out ____in question____, holding the pamphlet ____close____ as I walked down the hallway ____with Gina at my side____. "Yeah, ____and ____I'____m gonna____ be the female lead!" Gina boasted ____without holding back the slightest. She sure looked excited____. _

___"Hey, nice job by the way. Wasn't it always what you wanted? To be a female lead in the school play?" Sergio exclaim____ed____ with a smile as, congratulating ____the girl who looked as though she was over the moon____. Gina smiled back ____with a thumbsup____, bashful ____but eager._

_"____So, are you gonna come and watch the rehearsal today, Amato? ____Please? Pretty please?____" Gina ____repeated____ as we stopped in front of our classroom. ____Her constant asking tore away at my resistance, until there was nothing left. _

___"____S-____Sure. ____So ____who's the lead?" I toss____ed____ out the question ____after agreeing, without much thought on the subject____._

The lead appeared in a grand entrance of his own. It was different, with his character being a prince and all. The servants would sing and the orchestra music would play in the background. As the lights shifted and shone, revealing his face, I instinctively bit my lips. Johann stood in the spot on stage with a smile that captured the hearts of all the girls watching, evident from their reactions. The feathers and the cape only made his appearance that much more grand. As much as I hated it, he looked really good as the prince.

"Uh.. calm down, we can't have you doing anything now..." Sergio warned me as he looked as though he was ready to hold me back should I moved. He must have been watching my reaction of Johann stepping onto the stage.

Soon, after a whole lotta talking, we're finallyat the big scene that everyone was waiting for. The kiss. I tensed as the two leads walked into the scene, one at each end of the stage. Sergio was still occasionally moving his eyes to check on me while the whole thing started rolling. I felt like I was on probabtion or something.

Well, I guess I was pretty harsh yesterday. Still, I...I don't want this kiss to take place, even if this is just a play. I know that it's selfish, but... I just...

As they got close, their eyes closed and emotions rised, my hands dug into the arms of the chair in the theatre.

I need to do something! Anything disrupt the play! Any hogwash will do!

"Cough! Cough!"

I ended up coughing out as loud as I could. I even stood up to catch more attention.

"What are you doing?" Sergio whispered in an urgent tone, catching sight of the audience as well as the Drama Teacher, Mr Benoit, looking crossed.

"I don't know!" I whispered back with no intention of stopping!

Its no surprise that after that fiasco, I found myself banned from watching the rehearsal, or any other rehearsals in the future. The play resumed soon after, and I could only lean against the wall besides the main doors waiting for the whole thing to end.

"Hey, you didn't have to speak out for me, you know? I was the one being stupid. Now you're missing the rehearsal as well." I spoke out with my eyes closed. It's definitely not one of my brightest ideas. Sergio was beside me, resting with his arms behind his head.

"Eh, It's all right. It's just the rehearsal, I'll just catch it on performance day." He gave out as he pushed aside my concerns. Still, he couldn't hide the regret he's showing on his face.

Darn, I wished he would just be more angry at me at a time like this.

"I'm just glad you didn't jump on stage or something..." He added on, not moving from his position. I found myself staring at Sergio with widened eyes.

A few seconds later, I burst into laughter, and Sergio soon followed.

* * *

After the whole thing, the three of us ended up heading home together. Gina, Sergio and I. As we walked, the crashing of the waves hitting against the walls of the canals echoed through the near empty streets of the Residential District. The wind was stronger and colder than before, probably due to the coming winter.

I guess I'm glad that we're moving, as the cold is driven away with each step. Well, that's how it feels to me, at least. My eyes lingered towards the rooftops, a habit after what happened before. I still can't bring myself to face Gina, when I found out that she worked really hard for that scene. In response, Gina would walk in front of me and stare at my face with a smile, only to have me look away from guilt.

"Look, it's okay." Gina suddenly hopped in front of me again, and shot out to hold my hands. "It's just acting... All right?" Gina says so with a smile.

I know she's trying to cheer me up, but, why? If anything, she should be angry at what I did. I keep getting the idea that she's getting the wrong idea about why I'm upset. I think I heard a face-palm from Sergio after that.

"I'm sorry.. About the rehearsal.. " I muttered out to Gina, my tone soft and weak, just as we were about to go our seperate ways. The need to apologize was coming back, stronger than ever.

"Apology accepted. Just...promise you don't do something like that for premiere night, okay?" Gina asked out as she started jogging in the direction of her house, waving back at us. Right after, Sergio gave his goodbye and began walking towards the direction of his house as well.

Was he trying to tell me something with that look on his face? Hm, oh well.

Heading down the familiar street alone, the strangest feeling that somebody's watching hit me. Yet, there was no killer's intent behind the gaze, which was why it was strange. Brushing it off, I picked up my pace, and began running back towards the mansion.

* * *

******I'm sorry about the little details about the play, I don't know much about school plays. Here in Singapore, we never ha********d******** any at all. ********Not by students, at the very least.******** All right, as you probably realized, I'm setting everything up for the Culture Festival! Be on a look out for familiar faces appearing as well as Cameos. Who knows who I'll sneak right in! As usual, Praise, Comment or Criticize in your reviews!**


	17. The Cultural Fiesta

**Author's Note:**

**Oh yeah, the start of the Culture Festival! It's gonna be three whole days of randomness! As you might have known, Venice is a center of Arts and Creativity, so expect the unexpected with what some of the classes is doing, as well as what's going to happen!**

* * *

**Chapter 16: The Cultural Fiesta**

Ah, yes, the Culture Festival. I remember walking through the front gates only to be greeted by a multitude of colors and sounds, as well as people young and old. Our school's festival is open to the public, so during the event, people from all over will come in to see what wonders our students can offer. The stone path is ridden with taps as dances break out every few minutes. As I walked towards the area designated for my class, one can't help but feel drawn in to the laughs, cheers and smiles. Highly and widely known of our culture in Venice is our Arts, particularly Performing Arts, so people naturally expect to see quality showcases here in Venice High. Different dance groups, each from their own clubs, are here today to showcase their creativity and style. Our school is one of the few to have three different bands, and throughout the campus, snippets can be heard here and there. Globalisation has also hit Venice High from a while back, so we even have things like a Haunted House, a Cafe and even Game Stalls!

That is, until I saw the Dunk Tank I'm supposed to be in. I think my soul died a little.

It was huge! No, not just huge, it had all these small attachments to it. It made everything else there looked like they came out of the stone age! There were slides, bunkers, troughs, caves, all attached to the seat of the guy who was gonna be dunked. The whole tank looked to be about three stories high, with the attachments and gadgets taking one story in height, and the water tank taking the other two. How the heck did the class afford something like this? And I'm supposed to be sitting on top of it? I'm supposed to fall into that?

"Gulp.." Yes, the sight of it, as it towers over me, was enough to force out a response. At that time, I had the strangest idea. Well, it was less of an idea, and more of a thought screaming in my head. What if I just run? I know it's stupid to be thinking about this now, but, I felt my body doing the opposite of what I was thinking. Just as I turned and was about to take my first step to freedom, however, I hear someone shout out at me.

"Amato!" It was familiar. It was probably the only voice that could've stopped me in my tracks. I could hear footsteps tapping before someone grabbed my hand with hers. "I'm so glad you came!" I turn to see Gina's smiling face, which would have been a blissful thing should things not have happened this way. "Uh, yeah, hi, Gina..." I called out to greet her, trying to pull a happy look on my face. Unfortunately, my body started moving towards her as she pulled me back towards the tank.

Darn it. Darn it. Darn it. Darn it. The thoughts bounced around my head as I met up with the rest of the class, their stalls beside the tank, led on by Gina. I know, I'm weak.

"We had so much trouble finding your replacement should you have fallen sick! The other guys suddenly felt unwell, it's so strange." Gina wondered, putting a finger to her chin. It's not strange, it's basic survival instinct! No one in their right mind would volunteer for something like this! I can almost imagine the image of their faces when they saw the tank being set-up, how they grew pale at the height of this hulking monstrosity. Some even puked from the fear. All right, maybe I exaggerated that part.

"Hm, you weren't trying to run away, were you?" Sergio asks me as he walked towards us from his store. "Uh, no..." I replied, glaring at Sergio. Well, Gina was still there, so I couldn't decline. Did, did he set me up? "Don't worry, I'm a hundred-percent clear that you can do this!" Sergio exclaimed, his look came bundled with its own cheesy smile and a thumbs up. I could feel my hands tensing up from my anger, as I struggled to keep that smile on my face.

So, after a few moments of preparation, I got up to the seat of the Dunk Tank. The festival was still going on strong. I sat in the seat, wearing my usual attire. Well, winter is coming, so I can't actually put on nothing but boxers, right? It's a good thing too, as I still had Fenris with me. You can never be too careful.

Well, as the day went by, I find myself bored with nothing to do, as well as not being able to actually get off my seat. It seems like my stall is quite the challenge after all. There is quite a distance between the target and the area you're supposed to throw your ammo. The challenger will be able to choose from three different types of projectile. A rubber ball, the type that's light and bounces alot. A baseball, and a Shot. Yes, the same shot you use in Shot Put. Though I would question the mental stability of anyone who uses that for this challenge. Not to mention, the target's not that big. As the music, laughs and cheers carried on, I find myself slumped in my chair. Sure, challengers come and go, but after a number of failures, they became less frequent. I guess I should be happy that I won't be falling into the freezing water anytime soon.

I think it was around noon, I was looking at a kid trying out the challenge. He seemed really pumped, so I expected a good hit on the target, even if he didn't knock me into a dunk. His parents cheered with smiles beside him, and that sight made me a little sad. Unfortunately, the ball never even got close to the target before falling flat on the ground. It was pretty disappointing. "Sorry, kid." I said so with a smile. Hearing my words, the family left turned their frown upside down before leaving.

"Look at him go!" I hear a voice from the crowds. "He so cute!" A pair of girls cried out. "Amazing for his age!" Another comment exploded from the students. I couldn't actually see what was happening, but a crowd has formed around our 'Test of Marksmanship' stall. Though the challenge is for you to strike a target at a distance, I saw, in a flash, three targets dropped simultaneously. "Hey! That was easy!" a child-like voice came out from the crowds. I wanted to see who is the shooting, but I just couldn't see past the sea of students.

"Hey! Let me try it again, with five targets!" The voice yells out once again, the quick and calm tone never fading. "Wow, he sounds confident." I muttered, still seating at my seat above the tank.

Again, in an instant, I saw five target brought down at the same time. Still can't quite catch who it was, though.

"Wow!" A few voices say out from the sea of people. "I love that cute little toy rifle he has with him!" A comment came from another group of girls. Hmm, seems like he's quite the sharpshooter, I thought, as I begin to ignore the voices and went back to a whole lot of boring.

Just as my attention moved away from that particular stall, a stranger with dark-blue hair walked through the crowd and stopped beside the prodigy. That was when the prodigy shooter jumped up on the table, and revealed himself to be a baby. His hair, blond and wild, complete a bandanna. His attire, green all over, similar to those combat uniforms the soldiers use in Guerilla combat, with thick, black, combat boots. And he also had a Blue pacifier around his neck. "How about a match? Arcobaleno?" The blue-haired stranger gave out his challenge, shifting his fedora hat. "Uh, kid, your prize?" one of the guys handling the stall muttered out, cutting into the conversation. "Hey! now's not the time!" The baby replied.

"Hey! You're on!" The baby gave out the signal.

I didn't actually catch any of that, because a particular person came upon my stall. "Zanna! Dunk Tank! Awesome!" His voice, forever written into my mind, was instantly recognized. It drew my attention as I saw the guy in person. Johann stands in front of the tank with big, wide eyes that sparkle with excitement. He looks like a kid who's laying his eyes on a new toy. "Yeah, yeah. Good luck." I called out to Johann, trying to ignore him by looking away. That was when I saw something interesting at the front gates. Blond hair, maid outfit, Kiera? I can see her walking in with a few others. That is Kiera! I was so distracted I did not see what was happening. Johann had grabbed a baseball, and in a swift motion, pushed his leg high, doing a classic stance used for pitching, and tossed the ball with all his strength. It burned through the air like a comet.

"Bam!" The sound can be heard loudly as the target was hit. That was when the mechanisms started and I fell into a cave, rolled my way down tubes in a zig-zag fashion, and tumbled down some ridges, before falling into the tank.

The last feeling I had was when my body was bombarded by the freezing cold water.

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**All right, the first chapter for the 'Culture Festival' Arc! What do you guys think? Did you catch the little stuff I snucked in there? Please, voice out the flaws of my writing if possible! As usual, Praise, Comment and Criticize in your reviews!**


	18. My Famiglia Joins In!

**Author's Note:**

**Did you guys enjoy the start of the Culture Festival? As you might have read, the festival itself is a grand event at Venice High. Uh, take note, this is just my version of the school, I really have no idea how it works in Venice. Still, I expect them to take pride in their Art, nonetheless.**

* * *

**Chapter 17: My Famiglia Joins In!**

There was a few minutes of silence before I came bursting from the waters of the two storey deep tank. "Ack! Cough!" I gave out, gasping for air as I kicked the waters restlessly. It wasn't because I couldn't swim, it's just it really caught me by surprise! And the water was cold, really cold! As I climbed back to my seat above, shivering and trying hard to warm myself, I could see a couple of girls, probably from another class, laughing at what happened. Johann was nowhere to be seen.

"Lord Amato! Are you all right?" I hear a familiar voice call out my name after I closed my eyes because of the cold. "... Kiera?" I muttered out, my voice still a bit shaky, my body shivering. I opened my eyes to the sight of Kiera together with a few of my Famiglia. Sera was with her with Vito trailing behind. Don't tell me she had members patrolling around the festival. "Wha-what are you guys doing here?" I nearly screamed out from my seat, surprised as I was. So surprised, that I didn't notice Vito smiling, making his way towards the students tending my stall.

"We are not banned from enjoying the festival, just as everyone else, right?" Kiera calmly explained herself, eyes closed as she did. "Well.. Uh.. I suppose you're right.." I gave her my consent after thinking it through. I don't see her shield, could they really be here to enjoy the festival? Still, Kiera always seems to pull that chunk of metal out of nowhere.

"Amato! Are you sure you're well enough to be a target for a dunk tank?" Sera asks out, looking really worried. "Nah, he'll be fine, more importantly, goodbye, boss!" Vito suddenly interrupted us before I could give a reply, with a sly grin on his face, twisting a ball in his hand like it was a balloon.

It's just that it wasn't just a ball, it was one of those Shots you use in Shot Put, metal and all! In an instant, he tosses the shot with one hand, with what seems like little to no effort at all. But, it flew at lightning speed, and one could hear the impact anywhere from the festival.

Once again, immediately after, I find myself falling through the mechanisms, grinding through pipes, falling against ridges, as well as spinning my way through twirls, before falling head first into the tank of water again.

Soon, I find myself sitting back at my seat after climbing up a second time. Twice the dunks had hit me hard, my body shivering uncontrollably because of the cold. Annoyance painted on my face. "Vito..." I dragged on, my voice, my words, now stuttering. Sure enough, he was already gone. "We'll be going around, looking at the showcases, we're particularly interested the bands this year." Kiera informed me, turning her head to see where the bands are located, Sera smiling and nodding to her words. "We'll be back later, goodbye, Lord Amato." Kiera gave out with a wave of her hand as she disappeared into the sea of people. "Bye, Amato!" Sera gave out in her usual soft tone excitedly as she followed Kiera's footsteps.

As I watched them chat and smile, a smile slowly appeared on my face. I guess it's okay, if anything, I should be encouraging them to do things like this more often. They are about the same age as me, mafia or not. Surely they enjoy some sort of leisure, every once in a while. These thoughts come and go as I sat on waiting for the day to end, staring at the afternoon sky.

* * *

...

...

"Slap!"

"O-ow!" I yelled out from my seat, shocked from the sudden jolt of pain. Well, it wasn't that painful, it was still surprising, nonetheless. "Seriously, you're the only guy I know who would let himself fall asleep even when he's the target for a dunk tank!" The voice called out, and as I hear it, I instantly knew who it was. I don't think anyone in our class would not be able to. I opened my eyes to have the President of our class standing beside my seat, holding on to the ladder up to my spot atop the tank. "Prez, you could've just called to wake me, you know!" I whined. Seriously, she always takes the more violent approach. "Why'd ya have to hit me?" I asked out, rubbing the left side of my face, now stinging with a slight pain. "Uh.. It's not like I wanted to touch you on purpose, you know!" She responded, looking away and climbing down the ladder.

"C'mon, get down, your job's done." She announced as her tone simmered. But, what did she mean? Asking for the time, I found out that it was only one o'clock. The festival doesn't end till four.

"Look.. I'm sorry.. for putting you up to this.. I didn't know you were out of school for three weeks because of injuries..." The Prez meekly gave out, averting her eyes with each word. I wanted to rub my eyes to see if this was really happening, but I couldn't bear to lose sight of this! The Prez, known to the school as the 'Roaring Tigress', is apologizing to me! "We can't stop your participation, but you'll be able to stop early for this three days..." She continued, looking genuinely sorry.

"It's okay." I gave out as I patted her head. "I'm glad you're taking such good care of me." I informed her with a smile. The Prez was so surprised at my action that she blushed furiously and even took a step back. I'm surprised she didn't punch me right there. "I'm.. I'm just looking out for my classmates! It's my duty as Class President!" She gave out stammering as she turn around and begin walking, returning to her duties.

Well that was... interesting. I couldn't recall when was the last time the Prez actually showed emotions like that. As I scanned around, I could see that the festival was still as crowded as before, chatter and laughter everywhere. Good, everybody seems to be enjoying themselves. That was when a growl, loud and obnoxious as it is, erupted from my stomach. "Ugh... I haven't had lunch yet..." I called out as I grimaced, rubbing my tummy. Suddenly, my nose was assaulted by a wonderous smell.

A few minutes later, I find myself sitting on a bench near the dunk tank. In my hands was a treasure that glowed under the sunlight. It's creamy texture looked scrumptious, only rivaled by the scents it gave off. The smell of garlic, onion, cheese, beef and peas filled the air, dancing around me and arousing my hunger. The crisp, golden rice, crackles as I held it close, even when it had been removed from the heat. Even now, I can feel my taste buds gearing up to chomp down on it. "Risotto!" I cried out like a kid as I grabbed my fork. "Time to eat!"

"Lord Amato!" I suddenly hear Kiera's voice calling, and halted my lunch.

As I saw Kiera walking towards me with Sera and Vito behind her, I stood up from the bench with the Risotto bowl still in my left palm. "Hey! Over here!" I called out, my footsteps now moving towards them. That was a mistake. Suddenly, a shadow loomed before me, knocking into me from my right. In that instant, I watched with horror as my bowl flips from my hand, and fell to the ground. I could only stand with my face in shock at what happened. Standing beside the tall man was a girl in a white suit with orange linings. "Aria?" I called out, before turning and saw that the man was the same man that came for her that night.

A few seconds of silence went by as Kiera and the rest made their way before me, as I stared down on my bowl of untouched Risotto, now splattered on the stonefloor.

* * *

"Crunch, crunch, gulp..." The sounds just burst forth from my mouth as I chowed down on my second bowl of Risotto. Kiera, Vito, Sera, Aria and the guy she called Gamma was standing around me. "Calm down, Lord Amato." Kiera called out, looking worried as I gulped down without chewing much. After I was done, I sat back on the bench, puffing out a breath. "Strange, I imagined it to be way more tasty..." I muttered. Looking towards my Famiglia, I see them looking towards Aria and Gamma. "Sorry, Kiera, Vito, Sera, this is-" Just as I was about to introduce Aria to them, Aria interrupted me. "Kiera!" She cried out with a smile, jumping towards her and hugging her.

Then, I saw Vito and Gamma locked in their sights with each other. Suddenly, Vito pulls out a combat dagger out of nowhere, and clashes with Gamma and his baton, which he also pulled out of nowhere. Then, just as quick, they put them away. "Long time no see, Gamma..." Vito say out with a snarky tone. "You too, Vito.." Gamma surpised me with words of his own.

"Wait, you guys know each other?" I called out in my own confusion at what was happening. "We'll explain later, there's only two hours left till the Festival closes, so let's hurry!" Aria gave out with a smile as she pulled me along. In the end, we went as a group to check out some of the stalls my class had set up.

Sera wanted to check out the 'Test of Luck', so we went there first. It was something simple, like drawing lots that had your luck written on it. Sera, Kiera and Aria got 'Best Luck', while Vito and Gamma got 'Average Luck'. Gina said I'm the only one today to ever drew a 'Worst Luck'. I gave out a sigh before tripping on a crack on the floor.

The next stall is the 'Test of Strength', and this time, Kiera was the one going for it. Everyone in the group took a step back as she lifted the wooden mallet. "What are you guys doing?" I ask out as I saw them move. In an instant, Kiera brought the mallet down at inhuman speed, so much that the force pushed the wind and messed up my hair. The stall tenders stood in shock as Kiera took the largest plush toy they had, a turtle in a chef uniform, for herself.

Gamma kept looking, or rather, studying, the 'Test of Wits'. The test was a match of Chess with Sergio, and from what I have heard, no one has beaten him yet. He didn't take the test, though.

Vito always had a very sweet tooth, so often I would find him disappearing and reappearing with desert or confectionery in his hands.

All in all, nothing out of the ordinary happened at the Festival. We spent our time there until the Festival ended, and Kiera invited Aria and Gamma to our mansion for dinner. Nevertheless, I was quite relieved. The thought of an attack from rival famiglias, though small, was always at the back of my mind.

* * *

At home, as I walked out of the shower with the towel in my hand, I can hear what I think is Kiera and Aria chatting in the lving room, that is, until I got close. "...There is no doubt, the attack will occur tomorrow." I can hear Aria's tone unlike anything I've heard before, almost like she had a complete personality change. As I got close, I find myself hiding behind a stone pillar. "Very well. Then the patrol will continue tomorrow as well." Kiera responded, her tone calm and dry as Aria's. There is no doubt this is serious, but what's this about an attack? I can see Gamma and Vito leaning against the walls at opposite sides of the room. They seemed to be listening to what Kiera and Aria was discussing.

Then, Aria stood up. "And here's the status report on Luciano Zanna..." That statement shook my senses, and I find my footsteps moving me towards them. Aria has news on my Dad? He's still alive?

"You know where Dad is?" I blurted out as I stormed into their conversation, surprising the four of them that was present. Aria then answered me with a sad look on her face. "Sadly, no. The status is still the same. We still can't find any information on what happened to him.." The answer pushed down the hope that had risen. "Searching the area where he was last seen has yielded no results.." What followed was a moment of silence. I guess no one knew what were the right words to say.

"Lord Amato." Kiera cut through the silence. "I assume you were not given the proper introductions yet." As she went on, I was still sullen with the news I just heard, so I found it hard to listen. "This is Aria, Boss of the Arcobaleno.." I could see worry in her eyes as she say those words. "As well as Boss of the Giglio Nero Famiglia."

"Wait.. Giglio Nero.. Black Lily.." I uttered, before my eyes flew wide open with surpise. "Aria, you're Mafia?"

So after much catching up, Aria giving me the details of who she really was, the two of them left. Vito went back to his room, and I was left at the dining table, eating dinner with Kiera standing behind me. As I looked at the seat where Dad used to sit in, I find it difficult to eat, especially after all that. "Kiera, would you sit down in this seat beside me?" I asked out quietly. Upon hearing it, Kiera was surprised at my question. "But, that's your father's seat.." She voiced out hesitantly. "Please?" I asked out meekly once more. Kiera was hesitant still, but soon, she did as I asked and sat beside me. I continued my dinner quietly after that.

I don't know why I asked Kiera to do that. Maybe I just needed someone to sit there beside me. Maybe I just needed family.

* * *

**All right, the end of the first day of the festival, and the second chapter of the arc itself! What meaning does the last sentence say? I hope you guys enjoyed reading this chapter. I felt like I had been asking for reviews alot, and I feel like it's starting to sound like a nuisance, so I'll stop. Still, I welcome any reviews you guys are willing to give, if not, I'm just happy you guys read the chapter!**


	19. A Commotion Explosion!

**Author's Note:**

**I hope you guys are enjoying this arc! It's my first time trying an arc that's focused more around slice-of-life rather than mafia. I hope I don't disappoint! Not to worry, there will be action too!**

* * *

**Chapter 18: A Commotion Explosion!**

The start of day two was definitely way more hyped than day one. And it should be. You see, day two is what we students of Venice High likes to call the 'Day of Conquer'. Why? Because today is the day where every club, showcase, groups and activities will challenge each other in a desperate bid to take home the Badge of Creativity. Wearing it signifies that you are better than anyone else in Venice High in terms of Creativity, Passion and Commitment. Today, the public takes the seat of the audience, and are granted the opportunity to judge and decide who is more deserving of the award at the end of the day. Whereas yesterday was the day of interaction and entertainment, today is the day of victory and competition. I just hope I don't get caught in the crossfire.

"All right! Let's give our best today!" The prez say out with vigor and brimming with confidence. "Yes, Mdm!" The class replied. Huh, they seem more enthusiastic than I thought, though we are just a bunch of game stalls. Still, I don't be a spoilsport or anything, so I went along with a smile on my face.

As I walked towards my stall however, the wind blew stronger and colder than before. As I looked around, a reflex action from the cold, I had this really strange feeling. It felt like strangers had surrounded me, their voices drowning my thoughts and making it harder for me to think. Instinctively, I find my hands reaching for Fenris. Then, the feeling disappeared, and I find myself standing under the blinding sunlight. Was it my senses? Was it a dream? Shaking my head, I continue walking as I dismissed such worries.

Come to think of it, did something happen yesterday? I kinda feel like I came across some important information. As I got to my seat, I shivered. Indeed, it does feel colder today. As I got on top, I felt like I reached a mountaintop, as I could see the whole Festival from up here. I could see that some of the students wasted no time, and were already starting their acts and performances. I could also see Aria as well as my Famiglia already here, walking around and enjoying the performances. Still, one can't help but feel confined as I sat up here, being a target and all.

Soon, I can almost feel myself dissipating into the seas of sound, color and people. The beat of the boomboxes from the dance clubs makes your body bounce with each note, from Hip-Hop to Classical, we even have some people Free-stylin. The bands are of course, at it again. The competition between the bands had always been very, very strong, so you can hear songs churning out every few minutes. This year, though, they seem to be spicing it up a bit, I can hear the Military band playing timeless classics and the Orchestra performing some of the more recent hits. Strange stuff. My nose was also assaulted by the multitude of smells coming from the food and beverage stalls scattered all around. It seemed this year, each class had at least one food and beverage stall, so the variety in food is quite diversive. You can even hear the sizzling as the food is getting cooked.

Yeah, trying to describe the things happening seems pretty lame, huh? "Sigh..." I gave out as I slumped back on my seat, above the tank of freezing water. Because of what little luck the public had when they tried my stall yesterday, no one seems to be coming at all. I doubt I would have the slightest chance at winning the badge.

Still, the whole festival was a commotion explosion, as the crowds were definitely larger in number than yesterday. From my height, I could see the students working way harder than yesterday, they seem genuinely yearning to win that badge, interacting with the public more as well as trying hard to draw the public's attention. I see some of the more lowly tactics such as stealing customers and propaganda being used also. Soon, shouts, roars and cheers exploded forth, turning the feeel of the place to that similar to a sports competition. Some of the attractions and showcases that I had forgotten yesterday, such as the Haunted House and Cafe, is now brimming with people. The Haunted House seemed to have gotten their hands on more better quality costumes, and now, they actually look a bit scary even in daylight. I wonder if they planned this, that they kept the best for day two. I also heard from a group of girl walking pass, that the Cafe has gotten a whole new menu, complete with extravagant food, handsome waiters and cute waitresses. I feel sorry for those people who could only come for the first day.

Would you have believed me if one of the biggest commotion, one that draws about half of the public's attention, is actually happening in one of our stalls? As the boredom grew, I find myself looking to find out just what had the crowd so engrossed. It turns out, it was the 'Test of Wits' that Sergio was in charge of. Sergio's stall was quite close to mine, so from my elevated height, I could see what was happening. There, smacked dab in the middle of the circle of people, was a table, and atop of it, a chessboard. At each sides was two guys, staring at each other and at the pieces with intent. Sergio was at one side, and the other is the guy with similar hairstyle, Gamma. No words was given as they engaged in what I think is the players thinking of which move to make. Gamma stands at the side of black, while Sergio stands with white. Wait, is that a chess clock? I thought they were only used in competitive games?

That was when Sergio moved the first piece. The pawn in front of his king moved up a space. "Whoa!" Someone shouted from amongst the crowd, gasps and chatter erupted soon after. It seems that one move made everyone excited. I only sat there with a confused look on my face. "What happened?" I blurted out. I'm not that good at chess, okay!

As the crowd whispered and discussed among themselves, I find myself at a loss at what was happening. That was when a guy suddenly yelled out. "It's the King's Gambit!" "...Huh?" I responded back with even more confusion. That name explained absolutely nothing. I find myself staring at the chessboard and its pieces, trying hard to figure it out by myself.

Before anything else happened, Gamma made his move. I didn't quite catch which piece moved where before another voice shout out once again. "The Panteldakis Countergambit!" That name incited even more words from the crowd. "Intense!" Another guy voices his opinion. "Doesn't this put himself at a greater disadvantage?" A girl asks out her worries. "Such high level gameplay!" An adult declares, stroking his chin at the sight.

"Penta, P-Pantel, what?" I find myself asking out loud as the words draws nothing from my mind. " Ah, I give up!" I whined, looking away from the match. I'll never understand chess. Sigh, looking at it will probably make me even more restless.

* * *

The day went by really slowly as I sat atop the tank, sitting and staring at everything else that was happening. Seriously, not one soul has tried my stall since this morning, and I feel like I'll fall asleep at anytime. Honing in a bit, I could hear everything that was happening. The laughter of children, the drop of water from a small leak from my tank, the screech of metal when the stick hits the cymbal. In a stroke of chance, I found myself turning and looking at the main school building. The Festival is held in front of the school, so from my position, I could see the rooftops clearly. As I scanned the walls, from window to window, my eyes caught sight to a small, scurrying black dot that was moving across the white rooftops. Upon closer look, it looks.. like.. a baby? In black leather with a motorcycle helmet on his head? "What the heck?" I uttered out as I squint my eyes. Once the baby was atop the highest point of the school and above everyone else, he started talking.

"My name is Skull, veteran commander and strategist of the-"

"He's gearing up for a promotion!" An excited fan of the still going match cried out. That drew me back into the match, turning my attention away from the baby. I know what a promotion is. Sergio once told me that when a pawn reaches its eight rank, or the opposing end of the board from where it was, it can be 'promoted' to another class. A sort of upgrade, in a more game-like term. "Queen!" Sergio calls out, indicating his choice of class in which his pawn will promote into. As interesting as it was to look at the board and see Sergio switch out the piece, my imagination took over. I see in my mind a soldier, bruised, cut, and covered with injuries, stand atop a mountain. He stood in a position that made him look like he accomplished something great. Then, with a deep breath, he bellowed with his arms stretched out. "Promotion!" I could see him heal from his wounds, and his body was then magically covered with robes of magnificence. A crown appeared on his head, as make-up appeared on his face. Lip-stick and eyeliner replaced what cuts and wrinkles that were present before.

"Ugh.." I gave out by reflex, as I realized how disgusting the image I was imagining was, squinting my eyes in horror. I shake my head as to push the image out of my mind.

Still, ignoring that baby was my mistake. Standing on the rooftops, the baby shivered with anger and irritation. He was annoyed at the fact that no one is listening to him, though he seems to be oblivious to the fact that it was because of his higher-pitched voice, which made it easier to ignore. Suddenly, the wind blew colder. That was when he drew a black pistol from his suit, and pointed it to the sky. "Don't ignore me!" He screamed out frantically as he pulled the trigger. "Bang!" The sound burst forth, stopping everyone and everything that was happening immediately.

I wasn't sure, but I know that Sergio, me, my Famiglia and the Giglio Nero were the first to react, turning our heads towards him. I find my hands reaching for Fenris as the silence continued.

"My name is Skull!" The baby declared once more, repeating that which was ignored. I find myself giving sharp and quick glances to Sergio and Gina and see them returning worried looks at me. "Veteran commander and strategist of the Calcassa Famiglia!" He declared again, boasting with his words. "Calcassa?" I uttered softly to myself. It's that Famiglia that has been causing so much trouble for everyone. They were the ones who tried to hurt Ines. "Today, we, the Calcassa, will take Venice as our own!" He cried out, his words almost like a battle-cry. He then drew out a walkie from nowhere and held it to his helmet. "Snipers, fire!" Though it was subtle, I was sure he painted me as the target.

"Wait, did he say snipers?" I yelled out in surprise. "Everybody get down!" I screamed out at my classmates as soon as I realized the danger. Suddenly, I stood up from my seat as my body instinctively moved to dodge an incoming bullet. As soon as I did, the sound kicked in as the bullet zip past me, deafening me for a second. "Whoa!" I called out, even though it was barely audible to myself. Before I regained my sense of hearing, three more bullets zoomed past me in sequence. I could feel my blood pump faster and the adrenaline surging as I twisted my body, bend down low and, in a quick, fluent motion without thinking, hopped upwards. When they stopped, I was holding my body with only my left hand, my body in a straight, horizontal position. I hope no one saw that. The bullets struck the metal pipes, the water tank as well as some of the tables below. Still, they gave me a pretty good idea where the snipers were. Drawing my Legacy Arm out of my holster, I call it out.

"Fenris!" The call drew forth wind and energy, pulsing from the white aura around me. Ignoring all that, I threw my aim at where the snipers were. At that moment, my vision blurred before coming back with depth and clarity. I could see clearly those that were hiding behind walls and structure. My body now lighter than ever, I aimed and shot at the four of them with no delay. One can barely catch the bullets grind through the air before the snipers fall one by one.

The shots drove the crowds into a frenzy, a feral instinct of fear and panic. Darn it, how far are they willing to go for control? As the question roared in my head amidst other emotions, I was already making my way down the tank. The panic was getting to me too.

A few members appeared on the rooftops, making their way to Skull. "Sir, the snipers have been taken out. Your orders?" Skull twisted his fist and cracked his knuckles. "Do whatever it takes to secure the area, I'll handle Zanna myself." Those were his last words before he leaped off the roof and into the sea of people.

"We have to run!" I hear voices screaming out, crying desperate shouts. "Get, get away!" A guy roars out as he pushes a mother and her toddler daughter to the ground. It was painful to look. Soon, panic has all but engulfed the area as everyone dropped what they had in their hands and ran to get as far away from the Festival as they could. I find myself slowly making my way through the crowd. I wasn't quite sure what to do yet, but I know I have to meet up with Kiera first. With my enhanced sense of sight, I could see Mafia members, probably from the Calcassa, surrounding the place, armed with firearms of all sorts. They haven't attacked anyone yet, probably because their target is just me, but the public don't know that.

As I got close to Kiera, Sera and Vito, they already had their weapons in their hands, except for Kiera. "Kiera! Uh.. Right. Emergency protocols! Protect the innocents and evacuate them from the premises!" I gave out orders I never thought I could. "You heard the boss, move!" Kiera gave out as she broke off to a dash towards the entrance, probably to retrieve her shield or help take out those who would block the path. "Roger." Sera responded with her serious look, jumping and making her way up each stalls, with her collapsible staff in hand. Vito only began strolling towards the bulk of the crowds, looking as uninterested as usual. Still, I had no time to order him to get his game face on.

Just as I was gonna head towards Sergio and Gina to see if they're all right, I caught a glimpse of my face reflected on a black surface, before realizing too late that the one called Skull had thrown a punch towards me as he leaped from the crowds. I only managed to raise my arms to guard against it. In that second the strike connected, I could instantly feel sharp jolts of pain, before feeling my muscle tensing, crushed by a huge force. Soon, the force overwhelmed my body.

The next second, I was flying through the air, as I did, I could see people crying, some injured, some unconscious already, and I gripped Fenris harder. Landing, I crashed against one of the stalls that had been set-up, collapsing the wooden stall completely with a loud crash.

As I lay disoriented, I could feel my body numbing, even in my Awakening. I pushed the feeling away, shaking and clearing my head of dizziness.

"All right, time to get to work."

* * *

**The end of yet another chapter. Seriously, it's getting harder and harder for me to write this arc, I don't know why. I hope the story in this chapter doesn't feel out of place. Please voice out anything that seems weird when you read it. I hope you enjoyed this chapter!**


	20. Skull Of Calcassa

**Author's Note:**

**What can I say, sometimes things just don't go the way you want it to. You didn't think this arc would be all Slice-Of-Life, did you? No, Amato's life can never get that easy. Still, be excited, because surprises can still happen here or there!**

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**Chapter 19: Skull Of Calcassa**

It was chaos. Absolute chaos. As I looked, people were running, falling, pushing against each other in a desperate bid to get away from here. The sounds of yelling, crying, as well as gunfire enveloped the area. The firefights must have started. The sun shine hollow as its rays beat down on us. The wind blew hazardously, as if complimenting the chaos that was happening. Its sharp howl keeping me awake and conscious of what was happening. In an instant, I was blinded by a bright, violet light, and at that moment, I lift myself with one hand, my right hand, as I jumped to the sides to dodge another punch from the enemy commander, the one called Skull. The aftereffects that came right after was devastating. The strike, as heavy as a wrecking ball, plunged into the stone-floor, craters and rubble exploding everywhere.

Just what the heck are they feeding him?

As the cloud of dust and smoke subsided, Skull lunged at me again, unrelenting. This time, I barely caught sight of the item emitting the light. It looked really familiar, like I've seen it before somewhere. "Huff, huff.." I gave out, getting breatheless as I dodged his attacks. I know from that one hit that receiving anymore might really kill me. Should I engage with melee? Would it be a benefit more to him than me? Should I hit from the side, with range? I find myself at a loss as I faced this enemy, one who's strength is unlike anything I've faced before. Still, I have to do something.

"Hhhhrrrraaaaggghhh!" I screamed out to calm my thoughts, jumping into the air, and giving off a scissors kick, with feral instinct driving me.

"Crack!" The sound ran through the air as bone collided with bone. But, even when he doesn't do anything to retaliate, I could feel the need to pull back my strike, before my own leg breaks. Kicking him again in the chest with my other leg, I only see him raising his arm to block before my own kick pushed me away flying. I crashed once again, landing and destroying yet another stall. Why do I feel like they suddenly appear at right where I land? Skull only dropped to the floor with a light thud, him still on his feet.

"Amato!" I hear a familiar voice calling out to me amidst the rubble. It seems Gina was still around, helping out with the Famiglia and assisting those innocents to escape. She doesn't have to do that. She don't have to put herself in danger like this. I won't allow it. As Gina tries to make her way from the crowd and to my side, I yelled out, stopping her at her feet.

"Gina! Don't. You still have a play to perform." I replied with a smile, trying my best to comfort her, to tell her I'm okay. I didn't know why I said that, it was cheesy. But, I really didn't want to see her hurt because of my responsibilities. Gina stopped for a moment, before nodding and running away herself. Good.

"You're good. What they said is true it seems..." The enemy suddenly voices out, his tone still high and mildly annoying, drawing my attention back to the fight. Skull walks towards me, as if haughty from that one small success, his confidence overwhelming. He doesn't even have a weapon in his hand, nothing but his fists. "But you're not good enough!" He roared out as he leaped and targeted me with a kick from the sides, forcing me to get up and start dodging again.

"Ngh.." I suddenly voice out on reflex, the joint and muscles on my leg, the one that struck Skull before, started throbbing. This is not a good sign. Not being able to kick would really give me huge disadvantage. Even as I stand, my feet pressing against the stone-floor, I can feel the throbbing, constant and pulsing. Had the muscle been damaged? Darn it, where's Vito when you need him? Skull launches his series of attacks, forcing me to dodge as well as to create space between us. I stand and find myself shooting him, giving up on reckless melee. Though strong, he was also very fast, so much that I have trouble hitting him with Fenris. Soon, the area we were was filled with craters caused by the strength of his attacks.

Just as Gina was about to reach the gates however, she was cornered by a group of thugs from the Calcassa. "Where do you think you're going, missy?" A member voiced out, sounding rude and sarcastic at the same time. It was quite a distance away from me already, so I didn't know and wasn't able to get there to help her. The presence of those thugs, as well as their guns, forced Gina to stop, and take her steps back.

"Ah!" Her voice sharp as a gun was pointed at her, forcing her to close her eyes in fear. Her sight went to darkness as Gina paralyzed from the fear of what was gonna happen.

"Crack!" The sound came to Gina from the darkness. "Argh!" She can hear screams of pain from the thugs. "Who is this kid?" Another voice screamed out, just as Gina was opening her eyes. There, she saw her friend, as calm and serious as he always was, fighting off the thugs.

"Sergio!" Gina cries out in relief and joy. Sergio spoke not a word, but his movements were fluent, fast, disarming the thugs and decapitating them as they charged against him. A few moments later, the area was cleared, the bodies of the unconscious Calcassa members lay silent.

"Regina, you okay?" Sergio gave out with a smile just as he takes care of the last thug in near the gates. Gina nodded as she returned a smile. Kiera came soon after, shield in her hand, with a contingent of my Famglia behind her.

"Spread out, assist the boss!" She gave her order, before making her way towards Sergio and Gina. "You guys should run, home if you can." Kiera had barely the time to talk, constantly looking around for enemies or innocents, before breaking into a dash. As they got past the gates however, Sergio spoke out something unexpected.

"Regina, you go!" Though Gina would've stopped him, the look in Sergio's eyes explained everything. Sergio then ran back into the fray, following behind Kiera, grabbing a long set of chains on the way.

"Mister Sergio, please.." Kiera spoke out, her eyes still focused on her path.

"No, let me help." Sergio declared, wrapping the chains around his arms. Kiera only saw his eyes before her words stopped and the two went into a sprint.

Throb. The feeling came right after I landed from another dodge. This can't go on. "Huff... Huff..." Darn it. Throb. I need to do something, a distraction, maybe? I could feel my leg muscles numb, the bone giving off sharp bolts of pain. Throb. The throbbing of my muscles seems to be even louder than my own heartbeat. I gotta a feeling I really need to rest my muscles for a bit. Suddenly, Skull comes crashing towards me once again, his assaults not slowing down one bit.

"Stop jumping around!" He screams out, annoyed. Like I'm really gonna do that. I could hear it, the gunfires are more frequent now, that must mean that my Famiglia and the Giglio Nero are fighting. I hope the everyone of the public got out in time. I was forced to watch myself go through this near hopeless situation. Even when my bullets do hit him, they only seemed to graze him. Heck, they didn't even tear through his tight, black, leather suit!

Suddenly, a bolt of pain way sharper than anything before erupted from my joint. "Argh!" I gave out as I collapsed on one knee. No! This can't be happening! I looked only to close my eyes as I see that monster of a baby leaping towards me with a punch.

"Kashink!" In the darkness, I hear the clash of metal.

"Get up." A voice called out to me, I suddenly feel myself being pulled up to my feet by someone's hand. The sight I saw was of a combat dagger actually slashing Skull, cutting into his skin. Before the cut could finish though, he leaped back with explosive speed.

"Ngh.." I could barely hear Skull mutter under his helmet. It turns out it was Vito, of all people, who came to my rescue.

"You can't die here, boss." The words that came out of his mouth are those I never expected him to say. "If you die..." He continued, pulling out a ballistic knife and throwing it at Skull. The knife didn't hit him, but it managed to lodge a part of his suit to the stone-floor. I was as much surprised as I was confused at Vito's words. "..I'll have to find a new job."

... Yeah, those were the words I expected from his mouth. In an instant, after looking at my leg for a second, he wrapped it with bandage and wood in a split second, in one swift motion. "Can you walk?" He asks out, strangely serious.

"Uh.. yeah.." I responded, tapping my feet on the stone-floor. No pain, no more throbs.

"Let's go!" He gave out as he started moving.

"Go where?" I only find myself asking as I followed as fast as I could.

"You come back here!" I could hear Skull screaming as he followed tail. Not to mention, him plowing through the the things that were set-up before like a wrecking ball.

Elsewhere from us, a particular scene was also occuring. A group of girls were trapped, cornered by a larger number of thugs from the Calcassa. The look on their faces is enough to send waves of fear down your spine. "Well, well, what should we do with them, hmm?" One the thugs asked out, abusing his advantage and control of the situation. They seemed really arrogant, as if they had totally forgotten about their mission. Or maybe, it's just their personality, though the latter is so much more worse. The thugs stand, their guns pointed towards the girls, forcing them to freeze on the spot, their movement cut off completely.

"Please, leave us alone! What do you want with us?" The girls cried out in despair. Their words only incited laughter from the thugs.

"I heard you can make a small fortune from selling just one of them..." An unecessary sentence was given out by one of the thugs.

"Actually, this one don't look have bad..." A perverted thug gave out as his eyes scanned one of the girl's bodies.

"Enough!" A voice yells out with a heroic tone. The girl's faces lit up as their knight in shining armor walked into the scene. His face showed an expression no one has seen before, serious with furrowed brows. He was trying hard to keep his anger in check as he strolled. On his back is the same long item, wrapped in gray, uninteresting cloth. "You guys really are the scum of Mafia." The knight voices out, loudly. It was as if he wanted to draw the attention of the thugs.

"What did you say?" A line can be heard screaming out from the thugs, the tone of anger washed all over it.

"Truly, the honor of the Mafia is forever tarnished with people like you." The knight voices out once again, staring at the thugs and their firearms with unflinching eyes, before whispering to the girls. "Run. Quick." The words only created confusion among the girls trapped.

"Trust me." At hearing those words, hope renewed for the girls as smiles appeared on their faces.

As they ran, crossing the gates and out of the school, the thugs did nothing to stop them, instead, all of them were too focused on the knight that came to their rescue. Their anger so strong you can almost hear them growl like animals. "Well, we'll grant you this bit of heroism.." The Calcassa declared. "In exchange for your life!" The words turn into a roar, as they attacked, pointing their gun at the knight. In a swift motion, the knight pulled the gray cloth off the object on his back, and wielded it in his hand, throwing the cloth into the air. As it flew, the knight spins around with lightning-speed. As his movement stopped, and the thugs reacted, a longsword appeared in his right hand. It had a white hilt, and a beautiful blade, but was adorned with these irregular black edges and pieces, glowing with heat, before rapidly cooling down. The knight then grabs the cloth as it fell and wrapped it tightly around the sword again. The thugs, in their confusion, pulled their triggers, only to realize that their guns had been sliced into two. The edges of the finely-sliced metal can still be seen red with heat.

"Wha-what?" The Calcassa voiced out in despair and confusion, stepping back with fear in their eyes. "uh.. The information never said anything about no swordsman!" They screamed, some already running away. As the panic drove them off, the guy did nothing to give chase, and begin heading towards the exit himself.

As for me and Vito, we were trying our best to help the last of the people evacuate, while dodging Skull's assault. It seems that despite how fast and strong he is, he's not that smart. "All right, go, run!" I called out to the few people left, after we gathered and ushered them to the gates. We find ourselves standing at the open space between the gates and the school, with much of the stalls that had been set-up destroyed by the chaos that occured. Vito stands, two comabt daggers in his hands in reverse grip, looking out for Skull. We seemed to have lost him a few ways back, although I'm sure he'll be back, the school's not that big. As we made our way to the center of the area, covering each other's back, we met up with Kiera.

"Area secured, Lord Amato." Kiera declared with her shield in hand.

"All right, now we just have to deal with Skull and his grunts..." I voiced out, constantly turning my head to scan my surroundings.

"Well, he is targeting you right?" Vito gives his observation, pointing at me with his finger. Out of nowhere, he just shoved me right into the center of the area we were in. At that moment, I could feel something wrong as my senses pick up a threat. I could only catch a fast sight of Skull and his flashing, violet light, before instinctively jumping backwards. Even if I really want to yell out at Vito in anger, I couldn't. As before, the floor ruptured and cracked from the impact, sending stones flying.

"Fire!" Kiera commanded, much to my surprise. In a second, the area we were in was surrounded by members of my Famiglia, firearms of all kinds in their hands. As soon as I landed, they opened fire. The bullets swarmed like a cloud of bees, flying straight at Skull, who is now in the center of everyone.

"Ow! Eya! Ow!" I could hear screams of pain coming out from Skull as a cloud of smoke emerged from the continuos fire. Debris and dust puffed up as the bullets kept flying, hitting Skull as he had no place to dodge to.

No one made a sound after the shooting ceased. Smoke and dust now clouds the area Skull was standing in. I guess everyone was just unsure of what's gonna happen next.

Slowly, the clouds cleared and Skull stood there in the middle, looking practically untouched, bringing the look of despair to everyone's faces. "That freakin hurt!" He yelled out, his anger hard to make out from the helmet covering his face. "That's it, no more fooling around!" He cried out, the object around his neck still shining strong. Raising his hand into the air, he snapped his fingers, the sound so loud I almost went deaf for a second. The ground then started shaking, as if in fear of what's to come. An earthquake seems to be happening as the stone-floor ruptures even harder than before. The sound of the stone being shifted bellowed across the battlefield. Then, the land was raised, as if beckoned by Skull. "Hahahahaha!" He laughed, as if his victory was already secured, his arms crossed. At first, I thought he jumped, but then realized that he was actually being raised. Tentacles, dyed in the color red, armored with spikes, shot forth, knocking down a lot of my comrades. A deafening screech can be heard.

I stood, stunned with Kiera, Vito and probably everyone else, as a giant, armored octopus broke free from the ground below, thrashing and swinging everywhere.

"You have got to be kidding me!" I screamed out just when I thought it couldn't get any worse.

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**Oh yeah, the action get more intense as Skull's giant octopus joins in the fray! Can the Zanna Famiglia's combined effort defeat a member of the Arcobaleno? One of the strongest baby in the world? Stay tuned for the chapter to find out!**


	21. Assassin, Traitor, Comrade

******Author's Note:**

******Would ya look at that, chapter twenty already! I know not seeing characters from the anime is frustrating sometimes, but I'm trying to buy my way past the gag chapters of Reborn! So don't worry, I'll keep you guys updated on which arc is happening when, so expect to see the story intertwine as more chapters unfold!**

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******Chapter 20: Assassin, Traitor, Comrade**

"Yargh!" I yelp out on reflex after getting smacked right in the face by one of those, big, fat, red, slimy, armored tentacles. If that wasn't bad enough, on top of the armor were metal spikes. I flew a good few meters before crashing into a bunch of potted plants placed near the gates. Darn it, why does it feel like I flew across the battlefield everytime I fight in a battle? Of course, there was no time to be lying around, and I quickly got on my feet. Things weren't looking so good. Sure, Vito and Kiera are holding their own, but the rest of my Famiglia shooting from range are tossed around like rag dolls. "Augh! Eyah!" They screamed out as I saw them literally fly over my head. Metal zipping past my face and all. The cold is gone though. I don't know whether it's because of the wind stopping, or that the heat of battle is keeping me warm.

As I made my way to rejoin the battle, Aria and Gamma, together with a group of the Giglio Nero, arrived at where we are. The orange pacifier around Aria's neck is now shining brightly, maybe even more brighter than Skull's. That's it! That's a pacifier, they're one and the same! "Skull!" Aria called out, her voiced drowned out by the sounds of the battle.

"My lady, I'm afraid you'll have to stay back." Gamma spoke out in a rather calm tone. I expected Aria to disagree, but to my surprise, she complied. Gamma then joins the battle as well, showing his proficiency in all types of fire-arms as he switched them on the fly, even as he dodged and ran.

This is definitely not going to work if my Famiglia keeps getting pummeled like this. As my feet pounded against the stone-floor, running across the battlefield, dodging those tenctacles, I yelled out my orders. "Everyone! Fall back! Go out of the tentacles' range and provide support fire!" My words accompanied by feral strength, almost like a lion roaring. I didn't quite catch it, but a smile appeared on Kiera's face while a look of surprise appeared on Gamma's. Immediately, a good number of my Famiglia moved, falling back and relying more on firearm and providing support.

"Zanna! Are you sure about draining so much of the offense?" Gamma yells out suddenly, as he dodged each of the tentacle's impacts as they struck the ground.

"They stand no chance against that power! Providing support fire will be a safer option!" I yelled back. I don't know why, but I feel like he asked me that question just to taunt me. "Ah!" I screamed out again as I was nearly struck again by those tentacles, the spikes grazed against my skin. I didn't notice it much, but a number of cuts and welts already surfaced on my body, particularly my skin. I don't know wether they're bleeding, but the stinging is definitely there.

"Hahahahahaha!" Skull stands laughing atop his monstrosity, arms crossed, confident like he had already won this.

I find myself raising my legs to defend and redirect those tentacles while constantly aiming for Skull with Fenris. Mobility is the key here, as I ran across the battlefield to disorient the enemy as well as to restock on ammo. Metal hitting stone can be heard as bullets dropped to the ground after they are shot, soon it feels like we were striding through a sea of metal. I kept my eyes on my allies as well. Vito and Kiera, even Gamma seems to bo holding their own, though they are forced to a defensive position. Support fire from the others don't seem to be working much. At this rate, we'll definitely lose out in terms of sustainability.

Suddenly, a loud impact sounded off as metal clashed against metal, the armored tentacle crashing against Kiera's shield, sweeping her off the feet with force. Kiera flew a good distance before hitting the wall of the school. "Ugh!" It was then Kiera did what I never see her do before. She cried out in pain, even if that was just one word. As I see her shivering amongst the clouds of smoke and dust, my instinct took over. Kiera looked disoriented, her face showing off reactions of pain, as subtle as they may be.

My legs sprinted towards her, adrenaline pumping. I don't quite remember what was going through my mind. It was almost like everything went blank for that second. Right after, Skull sent a tentacle right for her. I threw myself, arms thwon wide apart, to shield Kiera from it. I feel like I'm in a daze, I feel like this has happened before.

"Yargh!" I gave out, as the spikes drove into my flesh, puncturing my skin and tearing my muscles. Heat and pain rushes forth from the area, shooting out across my body like a swarm of caterpillars consuming a tree. At that instant, everyone's attention turned to my scream, distracted for a second. But a second was all Skull needed. With no delay, Skull cashed in on the opportunity, capturing all four of us with his octopus' tentacles.

I couldn't make a sound, or maybe I did, but I couldn't hear it. I felt suffocated. My vision was getting blurry. But I could still feel. I felt cold metal and fiery pain. I felt crushed, lumped together with extreme force. My hand was numb from gripping Fenris so hard. But, I know I couldn't let go of Fenris. Once I do, I'll die right there. I worry, as the images of my comrades suffering from the grip of the tentacles constantly flashes across my mind.

"Zwush!"

The sound of the wind, as fast as it was, snapped me back. That burst forced my eyes open. It was as if my body was used to that sound already. I was falling. In fact, all of us were, crashing to the floor with a loud 'thud'. The fact was that a sniper bullet had been shot, coursing through the air at a speed no one could sense. No one but me. I don't know why, but as I lift my head, I saw Skull's helmet with a crack and his octopus, strangely, concerned about his master. Thud. Thud. Thud. Thud. The strolling came slowly after. Kiera and I were surprised to we who it was. Walking into the scene with not a worry at all, the dark-blue haired man twirls his sniper rifle around his body, readying himself for combat. His eyes ever serious, he needed to say no word at all.

"Swush." "Zwung." "Swush." The guy twirls his rifle around as we recovered. Skull wasn't too happy about what happened, though. His body shivering with anger, he burst out without control. "Argh! You, you dare interfere, traitor?" Skulls roars out. What did he mean by traitor?

"You guys were too weak." The guy replied, closing his eyes. That was when he charged forth, taking on the Skull and his pet head on. At the same time, Skull began making strange signals with his hands, his fingers. The trashing of the tentacles grew more rapid and unpredictable immediately after. Still, we all stood quite surprised as the guy fought on offensively, dodging attacks and striking the armored tentacles. "Kink!" "Chink!" The sound of metal clashing against metal was soon the only sound on the battlefield.

I look around, checking the area, and was glad to see that everyone of the public has already evacuated. I was also afraid of what's gonna happen when school resumes with the front area looking like a warzone. I could also see Aria, with her flashing pacifier around her neck, looking worried.

The guy then dodged once again, back-flipping towards us. His hair flowing with the wind, his movements stopped for a bit. "Attack, aim the armor." His sentence short, saying only what was necessary. That brought us back into the fight. Soon we were constantly striking on the armor, now on the offensive. It seemed that dodging the tentacles was just what we needed. For the insane strength to hit, it must touch you, so dodging helps reduce injury as well as conserve energy.

"Hey, ya have a name?" Vito asks out in-between dodges, quite the surprise as well.

"Dante. Dante Ignazio." The blue-haired guy replied, his eyes still focused on Skull. In-between each clash between his rifle and the armor of the octopus, a delay would present itself from the tentacles' movement. Dante would then shoot off three shots towards Skull, only to hit the armor again as Skull raises his fingers, the tentacle raised up to block the shots.

"You seem strong. We should duel. It's been a while." Vito just say it out of nowhere, pulling out a second dagger and slashing hard on one of the armored tentacles. What is he saying at a time like this?

"Agreed, Angel, but we must take care of him first." Dante replied, striking hard as he brought down his rifle on the armor as well. Angel, as in, the Angel of Life. That's Vito's title, as well as his name, Vito Angelo. Wait, did he just agreed to the duel? What's wrong with this two?

Throb. The pain started to distract my focus. I must have forgotten about my injuries. Kiera's assault continued with each swing of her shield, while Gamma pulled out a shotgun and began pelting the octopus. Throb. I was also attacking, though I seem to be the least effective. Fenris's bullets aren't fast, but they pack a punch. Getting them to hit, though, is another idea entirely. Throb. Soon, after a god number of hits and a lengthy amount of time, our efforts paid off. The armor started to crack. The line ruptured all around the spikes and metal, the sound can heard loudly all throughout. Dante stood up straight, and aimed his rifle, in a swing, shooting off eight bullets, all the armor on each tentacle shattered at the impact.

"Crishink!" The pieces shatter.

"You-you broke the armor?" Skull roared out, now his anger out of control. Lashing out with his hand signals, the tentacles shoot after us faster than before, immediately catching us in it's grip. Throb. My pain is still going on, but there's no time for that. "It's..It's okay.. Calcassa! I need support!" Skull yells out, trying to reach out to his men. A guy suddenly limped out of the corner, covered in bruises and blood. He limped towards us with bated breath, drawing surprise to our faces as well as to Skull.

"Skull... Help.. me..." He mumbld out before falling. Behind him, I could hear the rattling of chains. Sergio walked out into the open, with his clothes slightly torn but other wise looking all right.

"Yo, I'm afraid there's no reinforcements here, not anymore." He announced to Skull, prepping up the chain around his arms and his body.

The grip around us loosened as Skull fell into slight panic. Fumbling out his walkie, he desperately called for help. "Attention, I need more members here, now!" The sound of static returned, followed by the roar of explosions. People can be heard screaming in pain.

"Sk-Skull! Our Warships at the docks has been sunk! Argh!" The voice was cut off soon after. Skull was left silent over his failure.

"Hey, Angel, how many daggers can you throw?" Dante quietly sneak in a question while Skull was still disoriented, looking at Vito's left hand being free.

"Uh, let's see, five?" Vito gave out after nearly dozing off from the sight of what's happening to Skull. Kiera, Gamma and I were left to wonder what Dante's planning.

"Shoot." Dante just gave out the order just like that. What was strange was that Vito complied, immediately after, even. At the instant when the ballistic daggers flew, Dante pushed his rifle free as well, and gave off three shots. Skull reacted fast enough to block the three daggers but only managed to block one of the bullets, the other two striking both his hand.

"Yargh!" The leather-suited baby cried out, pain coming from both hands. Because of the sudden stop of hand signals, the octopus got confused and dropped us oof as well.

"You'll pay for that! You'll all pay!" Skull screams out, his confidence now completely gone. The octopus seems to have gone berserk as well.

"Arcobaleno. I think you have other things to worry about." Dante called out, pointing towards the docks. That was when the light from Aria's pacifier shoned even more brightly than before.

"This is.."Aria ask out, as if doubtful of what happened.

"Hah!" A scream came from nowhere. Suddenly, blasts was shot at Skull and his octopus, breaking his helmet even more and forcing us to back off from the area. "Hrrrrraaaaaahhhhh!" The battle-cry, now obvious that it was coming from the top, sounded off. I turned to see another baby in a uniform with green camouflage, being carried by a bird, with a rifle in his hand. I rub my eyes to make sure I wasn't imagining it. His shots seems to be hurting Skull.

"Uncle Colonello!" Aria called out, strangely greeting the baby.

"Hey! You were right, kid! You were absolutely right!" The baby called Colonello shouted out to Dante, while pelting Skull with bullets and blasts. Landing beside the two, Collonello grabbed on to one of the armorless tentacles and begin turning in a circle. "Hiiiiiiyyyyyyyyyaaaaaahhhhhhh!" He yells out once again, tossing the octopus in the direction of the ocean.

"Uuuuwwwaaaaahhhh!" Skull screamed as he flew grabbing on to his octopus, flying off from our sight.

And that was it. We won. I still can't believe it.

Immediately after everything was over however, I was presented another situation. Kiera walked on towards Dante as I checked on my Famiglia as well as the others. Vito never moved from his spot, looking on as Kiera suddenly raised her shield. "Don't think I've forgotten what you've done, what you've tried to do!" She say out calmly, yet her voice was angry in its tone.

"I was clouded by emotions, but now, my head is clear. You are a danger to the Zanna Famiglia!"

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******There it is, the end of chapter twenty! The end of a conflict leads to another? What will happen to Dante? Did you guys enjoy the chapter? Keep a lookout for the next chapter and the end of this arc!**


	22. I Want To Believe

**Author's Note:**

**Third arc and it's coming to an end. Are the characters interesting enough to draw your interest? Are you able to relate to them through their behavior and actions? Most importantly, do they seem lively or static? I find myself asking these questions, well, I guess the time will come for me to know. Enjoy.**

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**Chapter 21: I Want To Believe...**

And so, the curtains are set, the lights dimmed, smoke and shadow filled the stage. The doors opened to let in a huge number of people, all chattering, excited about the performance itself. Among the crowds, we were there, amidst the masses of the public, blending in seamlessly. It had been quite the Festival, and I think everyone was glad that it's coming to an end, after all that has happened. I was... conflicted, I guess. With emotions. I want to see Gina perform, but I also want to avoid seeing Johann perform. Sergio walked in behind me, covered in a bandages, creaking the bone in his shoulders. Aria strolled in, holding hands with Gamma, who seemed strangely concerned at what's happening, as opposed to his usual, serious self. Kiera and Vito entered in the same attire as always, a maid outfit and a flight-jacket, with Sera in a soft, yellow dress that I've never seen before. Even the Arcobaleno, Colonello, was joining us today. He had to hide his pacifier, though. Arcobaleno, the seven strongest babies in the world...

Just as the last of the audience walked in and the door was about to close, the newest member of my Famiglia walked in with slow, powerful steps. He still had the same attire on as well, a waistcoat and a fedora hat. Adjusting his hat, he gives off a powerful presence, I swear I heard a few girls gasp in awe.

Dante Ignazio.

A man of few words. It took me a while to realize that the serious look he had on his face, is actually his neutral face, it just had a touch of seriousness to it. As he walked on, with most of the crowd looking at him, he kept a steady pace with his eyes closed, as if he was so sure of the steps, he did not need to see. Eyes just seems to fall on him. This must be what people call 'Charisma'. Of course, none of us have our weapons with us tonight, well, I'm not so sure about Vito, he always seems to be able to pull his daggers and knives out of that jacket of his.

Trying to distract myself didn't work, as the thought of having an assassin who tried to kill me as a member of my Famiglia kept coming up in my train of thoughts. Am I doubting him? I don't want to do that. Even now, the memories of what happened yesterday begin floating into my mind.

_I stared towards the docks, my body covered with sweat from moving so much, my breath still catching up with my body. The sun is already setting, the glow in bright yellow, fading off into the sky. The clouds drift on despite what had happened, birds fly and I could still hear cars and other vehicles driving. Everything still remained the same. I can't believe it's over just like that. It took less than a minute! It would seem like a dream if not for the sting of my wounds constantly reminding me that it was reality. It's difficult to believe even if it happened right before my eyes! I feel tired, wobbly as the power left my body. Suddenly, a shout woke me right up._

"_Hey! What do you think you're doing?" A voice yelled out. I turned to see that it was the Arcobaleno called Colonello. His face was calm, but the tone of his voice was not._

_It turns out Kiera, Vito and Sera already had their weapons raised at Dante. Sergio was also glaring at him, though he had thrown away his chains. As I got closer, Dante spoke out, as calm as serious as he was. "It's okay, Arcobaleno." That stopped Colonello from doing anything. _

_"Why did you help us?" Kiera shouted out, making sure everyone could hear. It felt more like a demand rather than a question. _

_"Could you deny that my help was welcome?" Dante gave out, this time seemingly in a more casual tone. Everyone reacted to that answer, probably cause we couldn't. _

_"Ugh.." Kiera muttered out at that comment, uncertainty now in her eyes. As she lowered her shield, Vito and Sera followed suite._

"_So you helped us on your own, good will?" Kiera asked out, her voice shaking a bit. She must be really doubting that he would help. I guess I should be too, they did say he was the one who shot me, indirectly. I stood confused at what was happening and what I should do. The wind began blowing, as if moving in anticipation of what's gonna happen next. My Famiglia as well as the Giglio Nero Famiglia stands watching, waiting and preparing, should any conflict occur._

"_I understand that my actions would risk my life, should you get hostile against me..." His words the first to break the stares of silence, still calm and collected, even when he's in a situation that would end his life if we wanted. He must have nerves of steel. "I only ask to walk away with my life." He gave out a demand, yet, it was in a calm, soft tone, like someone would be when he's trying to get on your good side. Not begging, though. I look around to see even those members of each Famiglia, injured as they are, trying hard to focus on what was happening._

"_You declared you would no longer be a threat to my Famiglia, but why are you still here after three months?" Kiera rebutted, seemingly unconvinced of what Dante has said. I could see her hands tensing around her weapon while occasionally looking to my side. Does she want me to handle this situation? _

_"..." Dante didn't give his reply at all, looking down with clouded eyes. I think he was reluctant to tell._

_Then, he just started walking towards the exit. His head was still looking down, eyes blocked by his hair. I don't know why, but I had the strangest feeling that he was sad. That he needed help. Kiera stands surprised at his action, but does nothing to stop him. The sound of his rifle clanking with each step echoed throughout the scene as he walked._

"_Wait, what was that about you being a traitor?" I went out of my way to ask, surprising myself, as well as everyone else. Dante's faced changed as he lifted his head and stopped his steps, eyes widening with surprise. What was I doing? I find myself asking the same question. After a few seconds of contemplation, Dante finally spoke out. _

_"... I've failed in my mission to kill you before..." He seemed ashamed as he was explaining. Maybe asking for help is something he had never done before. "..It was supposed to be something that was well within my capabilities, even with the Black Valkyrie here with you..." At that title, I find myself occasionally shifting my eyes to Kiera. "The conclusion the Calcassa has came out with is that I must've defected... And my actions today only aggravates my current situation..." Dante continued, his words losing that conviction and strength he had before, calm as they were._

_I felt strangely concerned for him, I don't know why. Could it be that I feel responsible for his troubles? But he was an Assassin sent to kill me. Whatever it was, I find myself asking. "What.. What'll happen to you?" My words light and soft, my tone gentle but shaking. It was as if I truly fear for the danger he was gonna face. Why? _

_"I will be hunted down, that is what the Calcassa has decided." His tone now returned to back it was, calm and serious. With those words, his steps slowly resumed._

"_Wa-wait!" I called out. That was when I made my decision. Dante stopped and faced me once again, his eyes looking away, his eyelids falling._

"_If everything you say is true..." I slowly gave out, gulping down saliva in preparation. "Then join my Famiglia." Everyone reacted to my words, and I don't expect them not to. "We are not exactly strong at the moment, as you probably know. You helped us out, even when you could've just walked away. The synergy you had with us was impressive, powerful." I continued. Looking around, I guess everyone agreed to my reasons. Sergio and Kiera looked like they wanted to object, but said nothing. "So... uh..what do you say?" I asked, reaching out my hand._

_Dante looked surprised, eyes wide, now more than ever. It took a few seconds before a small smile sneaked across his face. "You..." He slowly give out his words. Though serious, it had a distinctive tone of amusement in them. "Are a very strange man, Zanna Decimo.."_

_Grabbing my hand and exchanging a handshake, he gave me his reply. "I accept."_

So here I am, watching the play as it unfolds with my Famiglia. From my seat, we all looked like normal teenagers. Nothing you said could've convinced me that these people fought with guns and blades just yesterday. The members looked on, enjoying the play and applauding when appropriate. Occasionally, I see them giving me quick glances. Sergio must have told them what happened during the final rehearsals. I just sat back in my seat, relaxed while I watched. I won't do anything crazy today. Even as the kissing scene played, and I watched Johann and Gina kissed, I managed to stay seated. I couldn't help but grit my teeth and gripped my hand harder, though.

The sky gave off the glow of the setting sun as a whole bunch of us were walking home. Orange tint with fluffy white clouds. Today didn't feel so cold."Hey, you're wearing the Badge of Creativity! Awesome, Amato!" Gina gives me her congratulations before I could give her mine. Now that I think about it, it seems I had forgotten about it, thinking so much about what happened yesterday. This must've been why some of the students were eyeing me so much. I just thought they were weird. The badge glowed and reflected the light of the sun. A simple design of black, green and golden chrome, yet, they were all that's needed to give off its message. Gina hops around smiling and admiring my badge, so much that I feel strange from the attention.

"No, you were great on stage, Gina." I tried to calm myself by giving off my own praises to Gina. Gina reacted blushing at my words, smiling. My Famiglia walks on as well as the Giglio Nero, chatting with my friends.

"Really?" Aria voiced out louder out of a sudden.

"Yeah, I was just on my way to Mafia-land. " Collonello yelled out, his voice as gung-ho and ever. "Hey! They say the next Vongola might be going there soon, the kid in line for the title of Vongola Decimo!" He continued, well sorta talking, sorta shouting, I guess.

"Skull..." Aria uttered out with worried words. I guess she cares about all Arcobaleno, no matter what they do or who they affiliate with.

Vongola Decimo. Collonello went on and explained that he's rumored to be about my age, from Japan. I wonder how he's holding up? My Famiglia as well as the Giglio Nero were also staying cautious and inspecting Dante, who was walking a distant behind us, quietly and calmly, as if he didn't us to be disturbed by his presence.

"Sigh." I gave out. I only hope they can get accept Dante in time. If all works well, Dante would be a great addition to the team. I feel no threat from Dante anymore. As I stared up into the sky carried by my steps, I'm just glad that this incident's over. As for Johann, if Gina really is falling for him, I'll just have to work harder. Way harder.

Still, as I closed my eyes looking at the setting sun, I want to believe in Gina, and myself. I trust her that much.

I want to believe in Gina, Dante, my Famiglia, and most of all...myself.

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**Sorry! I'm so sorry I'm late! Note to self, headache, sickness plus writer's block equals not a good time to be writing. Not a good time to be doing anything out of bed, for that matter. I won't let this affect my chapter updates though, so you'll be seeing a double chapter update this time! Once again, I'm sorry! And I hope you enjoyed this chapter!**


	23. The Halloween Spirits?

**Author's Note:**

**Second chapter of the double update here. All right, the story continues. At times, I find it hard to actually write about the more peaceful times in Amato's life. Referencing from everyday lives usually ends with the ideas being too stale or boring, not something that would draw your attention and definitely not something people would want to read. Still, I hope this chapter interests you.**

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**Chapter 22: The Halloween Spirit(s)?**

The moon shone in its full glory, the shape complete, daunting over me in the plain, black, shadowy sky. The whole scenes seems eerily quiet. The iconic sound of steps that's quite common in the Residential District is gone. I took my steps one at a time, each sound resonating throughout the gloomy shadows. Strangely, there was no wind tonight, considering how close we are to Winter. I must admit, this feels like the perfect setting for Halloween. Yep, its Halloween. The full moon makes it feel like there's a werewolf behind every alley in Venice. Looking up to the sea of dusk that is the sky, you can almost hear the screeching of bats, flying together in swarms under the moonlight.

I know it's not a very popular holiday here in Italy, but that doesn't explain the ghost-town! Last time I checked it was only nine! No way everyone's staying at home right now! I only walked on as questions filled my thoughts. I had hoped to go visit the Shopping District, but when I reached there, all the shops were closed, and more importantly, all the bazaars are gone! As I stood in the square, a fog seemed to be setting in, hazing up the area around me.

Time seems to slow as my steps took me to the City District, where the shadows looked like clowns laughing at my every move. This feels worse than the time I got attacked by that silver-haired assassin. Something just feels wrong, the setting so devoid of life.

There is no light to the buildings at all. My vision of the surroundings turn, circulating as I looked and checked from side to side. It almost made me dizzy just from that. "What.. What is this..?" I couldn't help but mutter it out as I walked, the scenery now a painting of gray monotone.

Suddenly, a sound caught my attention.

"Kihihihihihihihihihihihi..." The sound, strange as it were, was not something recognizable. I don't think any animal would make that kind if noise. Of course, with no one here, shadows about, I find myself a little freaked out. It sounded less like a voice, and more like noise made from instinct. A cat maybe? A sick cat?

That was when everyone appeared out of the fog, which was now enveloping everything and even making things difficult to see. They walked, sluggishly dragging their feet. They had this very pale complexion to their skin. White as sheets, their faces were plain, blank, with eyes lifeless and soul-less. The sound of their dragging now fills the void of silence from before. The look like zombies, all them roaching and appearing out of nowhere. Now, the area seems to be filled with the lot of them. Suddenly, something brushed against my legs, cold as ice and as hard as a rock. I looked down to see what seemed like a severed head. It looked really detailed, almost like a real head. Blood, dried and wet, can be seen at the edges of the severed neck, and the smell was revolting.

"Aha!" I snapped my fingers as realization hit me together with a thought. This must be something like a party! The thought of the item at my legs as something made of paper-mache quickly pushed aside any desire to go into further inspection.

"And they say people here don't take Halloween seriously!" I laughed at that sentence as I looked around. The costumes were fantastic! Blood and wounds were very realistic, some still dripping with artificial blood. They way they walk, all hunched, dragging their feet, looks really convincing. Some crawled on all fours, the limbs cracking at each movement, which made me wonder how long they did to practice something like that. Some looked better than others, I only assumed they're not as dedicated to the event as the rest. Strangely, the costumes they have, on top of their monstrous ones, seems to come from different time-lines. I can see some from the more older days, while others look very modern. Eh, they look more ghostly than monstrous, but, maybe that's just me.

I soon find myself looking around, enjoying what festivities these people are putting up. Apparently, I wasn't informed about such an event happening. Strange, usually Kiera tells me everything that's gonna happen in Venice, being our land and all.

"Ahhahahahahahahahah..." The sounds keeps coming forth, spilling into the area. They seem to be doing this as an act, I think. They do great for the atmosphere, but I personally think their taking the whole costume thing a little too seriously. "Hey!" I tried calling out to one of them again. So far, they seem to be ignoring me. Maybe this whole thing is scripted?

I was left wandering again with no reply from them. I walked on, the streets still dark, illuminated only by the light of the full moon. I don't I noticed it, but the moon seemed much larger that night. As I find my eyes staring at one of those crawling in front of me, movements as fast as a spider, the man, or woman, suddenly twisted his or her head around. A crack as loud as a gunshot shot across the District. It followed by a soul-wrenching screech. The face was covered with lines and sags of skin. And in the sockets where the eyes would be, there were nothing. Darkness seems to be seeping out. The voice female, she screeched with her mouth wide open, and that very sight sent a shiver down my spine and a scream of danger in my mind.

As the voice resonated, the rest of them jerked their head towards me as well. I didn't catch it, but they turned and started moving towards me. It felt hard to think, to concentrate. I felt my movements numb, the voice pushing away my thoughts.

Then, all I felt was a hand on my shoulders.

Dante stands in front of me, his face ever serious. I took quite a while to recover from what happened. "Boss, are you all right?" Dante asks out, before removing his hand. At the release of his grip, I could feel my body wobble slightly as I tried to regain balance from the lost of his support. "You were gone for a second there..." He says out, turning to look at the full moon, now much smaller than before, before turning and looking towards the City District. Wait, City District?

I looked and see myself right at the steps of my mansion, standing right outside my house. Impossible, I walked around for more than an hour! "Wha.. I was gone for more than an hour! I went to the Shopping and City District!"

"As I said... You were gone.." Dante gave out, his tone receding at those words. Gone? A second? That was when those images of what I saw came back to me. Of those ghostly figures, figures of the dead.

"Oh..." I replied with wide eyes as I came to realization of what happened. "Hmm..." Dante gave out after making sure everything was okay, checking me and my surroundings, before walking back into the house. I only find myself chasing after him with questions.

Dante said I was gone as in dead for second there. The world I was in is something people call the Limbo world, or the land of the spirits. When I asked how he knew, he said he always had. He always had the ability to see spirits, as well as the ability to sense anything supernatural. He dubs it his 'Spectral Sight.' His explanation to me was that time travels differently for the Limbo world. One second here could mean an hour, a year or even ten years. He also said that I was lucky to return. I can't believe something like this happened. I mean come on, I died, for no reason at all, went to the spirit world, saw all those things, on Halloween? Talk about cliches. I'm just glad to be alive I guess. With those eyes, does Dante see things like that everyday? All those stories of people with a 'third eye', the ability to see spirits, they're all true? Unbelievable.

Could he just be pulling my leg? Could everything I saw a figment of my imagination? Looking at his face, I can't see this as a joke. Well, if Dante really has 'Spectral Sight', I don't know if I should be more impressed or freaked out.

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**Well, this came later by a day... Sorry! I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter, and maybe got freaked out by it! I'm thinking of writing chapters like this once in a while, providing a little insight on the other character's lives and abilities. They fall under the 'Extra' chapters, and can be serious, funny or just plain freaky! I hope I don't miss the next update...**


	24. A Distracting Thought

**Author's Note:**

**Have you ever wondered if you had crazy reflexes like those from Reborn!, would you apply it to your everyday lives? I don't think I ever see characters use them in anything besides battling. It would be interesting, though, right?**

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**Chapter 23: A Distracting Thought**

The chirping of birds as well as the sounds of water insects can be heard as I sat in the study room, looking out the window. The lights shining in blurred my vision, and gave off a warm, soft feel to the room. It was strange, considering its November. I had a pen in my hand, in front of my face was a revision book, opened up. I was constantly tapping my pen on the table as I tried to think of answers for the latest question I'm working on. I slumped myself on the table as nothing came up in my mind. Can you blame me? I was never good in Math, and I never did like those numbers, equations and formulas. They make my head hurt.

As I tried to come up with an answer, the day felt like it was the most perfect one yet. Sunlight bright and warm. No chilly wind that was so frequent this time of year. Not a puff of grey cloud in the sky. Frankly, I don't know if I'm imagining all this.

That was when my hand reached for the badge on the side of my desk, and the memory came bouncing into my mind.

_So we were clearing out the rubble and metal from the firefight before, as well as searching for any people still trapped here, when I heard footsteps approaching us. I tensed at the sound. I still had Fenris in my hand, though I wasn't in my Awakening anymore. Could it be an enemy? Sergio and I looked on in anticipation as the steps got closer. Before I knew it, I had Fenris pointed and ready to shoot._

_That.. was a mistake. Out of the smoke and fog, came my school's Principal and Superintendent, looking all scruffed up, probably because of the chaos before. "Ack!" I yelp out, switching glances to Sergio then to my gun. I can't be seen with a gun in my hand! What would they think?_

_As my thoughts panicked and collided, I squinted my eyes in an effort to maybe shield myself from what was gonna happen next. As the footsteps came to a halt, I already had my arms up, blocking my face. What happen next though, was a huge surprise._

"_We.. are grateful for your protection... Zanna Decimo.." Those are the words spoken as my eyes opened, giving me the sight of the Principal bowing to me. Sergio and I stand with botched faces and surprised looks. We had no idea what was happening._

_Well, it turns out my Famiglia had connections with the school too. Who knew? Apparently everyone present except for me and Sergio! That was why Kiera and the others did not even ready their stance when the two approached. It felt really, really weird to get such respect from your own Principal. It feels creepy, to be honest. Next day, I find myself standing on the podium, with the honor of recieving this year's 'Badge Of Creativity'. Officially, I'm now the most respected student in Venice High. Unofficially, I'm the one standing on top of everyone, winner of the 'Day Of Conquer', even though I hardly did anything. Of course, they deny any sort of influence my position as Boss granted me. _

"_He's the kid who helped me out back then!" I could hear someone shout out as I received the badge. That made me wonder whether I won this Badge fairly or not. It could happen, I guess._

"Heh.." I smirked as the memory dessipated. Nevertheless, my experience in school is definitely gonna change, for better or worse. Still, the day drags on as I continue looking back. At that memory, the ones of all that has happened came flowing back. What have I been doing these past few months? Killing people, helping people, securing resources, the usual for every Famiglia I guess. That was when Collonello's mention of the Vongola Decimo came into my mind. A fourteen year old kid, just like me. I wonder how his everyday life is now? Well, I wish him a better time. Less injuries, perhaps.

Am I distracting myself? I really shouldn't be. Looking out the window, the day still feels so slow, the rays of light warm and soft. That was when I remembered something. Something from a month or so.

It was Kiera.

Her face came into my mind, weak and vulnerable, flushed with emotions. She looked like she needed help! My hands shiver as I came to the realization. Was I worried, afraid? I don't know.

Beads of sweat seemed to form on my forehead as I remembered all those times Kiera got weakened. I remember a few times I touched Kiera's shoulders or bumped into her accidently only to have her violently push, knock or hit me away, shivering from what happened. There was also that time during the Culture Festival, when I protected her after she got weakened after being struck and hitting the wall. "Kiera... What exactly is going on...?" I whispered out to myself in my thoughts.

So what was my next course of action? Study? Hah! I find myself combing through the rooms of my mansion, popping my head through the door only to find members of my Famiglia, those injured, resting in the beds. My steps rattled through the empty white halls as I searched. Somehow, I had this strange feeling that Kiera's in trouble. And the fact that I was distracted by stuff that has been happening, or brushed it off as nothing, only made it feel so much worse. "Thmp. Thmp. Thmp Thmp." The sounds of my steps continued as I turn to see white walls again, and again, and again. At times like this, I kinda hate how big the mansion is. Well, I partly blame myself for never getting used to every hallway this building has.

"Kiera!" I called out, in hopes that I may summon her to me instead. Even if it's nothing, I'll need to at least hear it from her. "Kiera! Where are you?" I called out once more, breaking the gentle silence that filled the halls since afternoon.

At long last, I found Kiera in a secluded room. The room was filled with books, though they don't seem to belong to the Library. Dust was everywhere, and Kiera stood there, not moving, with a featherduster in her hands. Even as I saw her through the doors and entered the room, I was already bomarded by a fog of dust and particles. "Cough! Cough!" the coughing fits went away as fast as they came, and soon I found myself walking towards Kiera, who was at the other side of the room. I had expected her to hear me already, but she just continued standing there, her back facing me, not moving. No actions came from her hands too, the duster left dangling in her right hand. As I got behind her, I stretch out my hand to reach her. Naturally, I wanted to tap her lightly on her left shoulder, but I hesitate as the thought of what happened before flashes across my mind.

Well, I need to know if something happened to her! At that thought, I placed my hand on her shoulder. Immediately, a shiver, strong and wild as it was, circulated throught Kiera's body, felt by the slightest touch of my fingers. "Ah!" I hear Kiera cry out, and that itself surprised me. Kiera never cries out. In her reflex, she took hold of my arm, pulled me towards her before launching me towards one of those bookshelves in the room. As if crashing into the shelves weren't bad enough, books started falling on me, brought down by the force of the crash. Soon, whole stacks of thick, hard-covered books began raining on my head.

"Kiera!" I yelled out, partly hoping to get her to my side, and partly for help. I could only watch as she stepped back, face flushed with pain and uncertainty, before the two storey tall shelves as well as certain parts of the stone walls and ceiling started falling on me. The area I landed was in-between three of the shelves, and the crash must have broke their balance somehow. The walls were already writhed with cracks when I came in. I could only hear Kiera's footsteps getting softer with increasing speed as I was buried under the rubble of books, wood and stone.

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**The start of another Arc. It's kinda overwhelming as all the little thoughts I had before, the general ideas for each Arcs, now require planning structure as I write it out. Sometimes, things go dramatically different as new ideas change the way it was supposed to be told. Still, I do hope all the changes I made are the right ones. I hope you enjoyed this chapter!**


	25. Chasing The Valkyrie

**Author's Note:**

**Hey guys. With these chapter, there will also be a series of retcons to a few of the past chapters, so as to streamline the relationship between this fanfic and the main story, as well as to solve any confusions brought up before. They're nothing major, you guys can go back and reread them, if you want, though it isn't really needed.**

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**Chapter 24: Chasing The Valkyrie**

For a moment there, there was only darkness. Weight and strength pushed down on me, the pressure almost unbearable. It took me a while to actually recall what had happened, and that did not make it any easier to believe. Still, there must be a reason. I could feel dust and sand at my palm, my fingertips. Kiera, why did you react like that? All the thoughts and emotions masked the fact that my arm and hands are already reaching for Fenris. Or maybe, I already did. There must be a reason for those actions. Was Kiera injured? Whatever it was, there seemed to be something upsetting her, that much seems clear from her looks. I need to find her! My fingers gripped harder at Fenris as my mind decided.

I did not know how long a time had passed. In the sound darkness, I hear a howl of the wolf.

No names invoked, no word from my mouth, as energy filled my body. Pulsing strength began pushing out to my surroundings. The power fills the brink in an instant, and in a flash of light, the rubble was pushed aside in a wave of force and energy. I think I Awakened, though I could not know for sure. Strength fills my body, I could feel senses sharpening even as I stood up. There was one thing that points towards Awakening, though. A feral snarl, or a growl, began emitting from my mouth.

Is it anger? I don't blame Kiera for what just happened, so why am I angry? Maybe this is more of a reflex? An feral instinct?

I find myself walking through smoke clouds and dust bunnies, probably produced by my Awakening, before coming into the main hall. Footsteps rattled from the steps leading towards the upper levels, and I caught sight of Dante and Vito walking towards me as I shifted my eyes. How long was I in there, buried? The sunlight showed no from of change, so I assumed it wasn't long. "Something the matter?" Dante asks out, while Vito looks around, apparently distracted. Or maybe it was on purpose, still this isn't time for that.

"Where's Kiera?" I ask out, making sure not to get too excited. I don't want them thinking there's danger if I am not so sure about it yet.

"Oh right, you're looking for her. She just went out." Dante replies calmly, at the same time, a hint of curiosity appeared on his face. I still find myself distracted by his dark-blue hair though, I mean really, dark-blue hair!

Shaking my head to clear my thoughts from distraction, I made it a point to think of only the situation at hand. Before I know it, my hands are already on the two main doors, ready to push them aside. "I'm going out for a bit! Vito, Dante, take over!" I just splurted out as I pushed the doors aside, revealing a bright, warm day. The streets was fairly quiet and empty, the sunlight soft and gentle. "!" My last look of Dante suggested he had questions, but by then, I had already broken out into a dash. Sorry, but this is important.

After running around a bit, I got tired of asking the questions, especially if it was all in my mind. Why did Kiera do that? Judging from her reactions all this while, she could be injured. But Kiera's no mere grunt. She's the Black Valkyrie, her shield a sign that intilled both fear and confidence in the battlefield. No way she could get injured, especially not until she'd be weakened. And.. It must be something that kept on happening. So that must mean something's going on behind my back, something that is hurting Kiera. "Time to use that noggin." I told myself, my steps now dashing towards the Shopping District. Think! This must be Mafia-related. What's the current situation of my Famiglia? It may be connected since Kiera is technically afillated with us.

"_As of right now, the Famiglia stands on the verge of annihilation."_

Out of nowhere, that line came up. It was something Kiera said a few months ago, back when I hadn't accepted the title. What if.. What if people didn't approve of Kiera still helping out with the Zanna? Considering the state we were in? No way... We recovered some of the resources already... We're slowly recovering... My eyes pushed themselves open as a possible answer came into my mind. No, that can't be... It can't be them...

"Kiera!" I called out as I finally see her, standing by a store. My steps were quick, but within an instant, Kiera disappeared from where she was. I only find myself baffled as I stood at where I saw her just a second ago. A cold wind then blew against my body, and as if prompted, I turn my head searching. Then, within a heartbeat, I heard footsteps moving once again. Flashing back to where I was, I turn towards the rooftops to see Kiera dashing away. I had little choice but to continue after her.

Soon after, I was running through the busy streets, desperately trying to keep my eyes on Kiera to make sure I won't lose her. Why is she running? Questions surfaced in my head as I pondered about what's happening or even, what's already happened. Keeping my eyes closely on her, I could see her keeping her head down and her eyes closed, for the most part. The chatter of the street was making it hard to concentrate on what I'm doing, the lights and sounds an annoyance. I ran with feral eyes, gripping on to Fenris, but, making sure it wasn't obvious. I don't want to bring panic to the streets. Thmp. Thmp. Thmp went my footsteps, each pace faster than before. Kiera was slowly increasing her already-fast footsteps, and I had to adjust myself to keep up. "Grrr..." The growling continues with mere instinct. As you can see, it's not so easy controlling my Awakening, though I must say, it never felt so strong before...

I swerved from stall to stall, with crowds of people amidst. Each turn and twist, I try not to even touch anyone, for I don't know if my strength in Awakening would hurt them or not. "Hey!" A stall-owner shouted out at me as I hopped over his display of pottery, barely landing to the side and nearly breaking one of his ceramic bowls. I only managed to return a quick bow of apology before returning to the chase. It felt hectic, as I had to keep up with Kiera while making sure I don't break anything or hit anyone. As I reached the fountain in the middle of the square, eyes still on Kiera, street performers came into my view, scattered across the square.

"Darn..." I whined to myself as I push my way past the jugglers and the unicylists, each of them doing a stunt of their own. I had to twist, turn, leap, and even crawl my way through. Some of them.

!

All of a sudden, Kiera went for a sharp turn, disappearing from my sight. " Wha-What?" I called out in my surprise. My eyes darted to a number of directions, eager to locate where she has turned to. As soon as I caught of sight of her, I basically forced my steps to shift direction. Unfortunately, that was a mistake, as there, walking into my sight, was two guys carrying large load on their back. A box with a huge 'Fragile' sticker stamped over it. "Whoa!" I called out, at that moment losing control. Or rather, it felt like I relinquished the control from my body, hoping I would stop. What happened next surprised everyone, even myself.

There was little time to think. Heck, I wasn't thinking at all. As if by reflex, by instinct, I slid down under the box right as it appeared. As the soles of my shoes skidded across the stone floor, I turned my body around and dashed forward on all fours. I could feel my palm smacking against the stone, yet, it didn't hurt at all. "What the? Hey, Be careful!" The men in jumpsuits yelled out at me, but by then, I was already a distance away. As I got back on my two feet, all while still dashing, they were already slipping from my view.

"Sorry!" that was about the only response I could give. Still, I didn't know I could do that, I must be really into my Awakening today.

"Huff.. Puff... Huff..." I was out of breath as I stood, finally halting my steps after what felt like more than a few hours of running. The sound of the sea, the waves crashing against the shore, resonated hard against my enhanced hearing. The smell of salt floated gently in the air, dirfting past my sense of smell. I find myself atop of a stone cliff, overlooking the open sea. In the middle of this pretty painting, stands Kiera. She looked at me with eyes that shows both strength and weakness. Like conflicting emotions. "Kiera.. Huff.. "I asks out, with bated breaths. Kiera stands as still as she was. I could barely hear her breathe, she's not tired at all. "Why'd ya do that?" I continued.

"I... knew it wouldn't hurt you.." Her words came out soft, like she was uncertain.

"And that makes it okay for you to do it?" I say out, almost yelling. My feral instinct was taking over. The pendant still showing the name, I was still in my Awakening. Immediately after those words, I could see Kiera turn and look away with sadness.

"I'm sorry." I... shouldn't have said that. Strangely, it doesn't feel so warm right now, the sun looks like it's covered by clouds. Without thinking, I find myself walking towards her. "Exactly what's going on Kiera?" My question came softly and slowly. Was I afraid? Worried? I don't know. Though, I have a pretty good answer in mind already... I could see Kiera tense in her movements. Her eyes then showed uncertainty, before she shuts them up and shook her head. Then she began wiping or maybe dusting off her shoulders. That was when the answers came. Huge, blunt marks were littered all over her skin. Bruises as dark as shadows appear scattered all over. I stood at a moment of disbelief, before calming myself.

"So it really is them..." I muttered out under my own breath. Kiera stand surprised at my words, before she reacted to my touch. Though she tensed, I made it sure to pull her and put her over my back.

"Eh?" I heard Kiera's voice behind my ears.

"You're injured, right?" I gave out as I began walking back towards the mansion. Kiera blushed but didn't give any form of objection. I couldn't let her walk when she's injured like that. My mind was twirling in a sea of thoughts as I paced myself with each step.

"Zzz.." Before I knew it, Kiera had fallen asleep. Hah, I guess she was tired after all. Getting a good look at her face, I knew what I had to do, no what needs to be done. Looks like studying will have to wait...

It's time for a little visit.

* * *

**The new arc is already heating up! Exactly what's happening? What was the answer Amato thought of? Just how did someone as strong as Kiera got injured? We'll, you'll have to wait for the next chapter to find out!**


	26. House De Luca

**Author's Note:**

**I have been reading my own chapters and they're... too long perhaps? No word on it from the reviews makes it difficult, but improvement can definitely be done, and I intend to do just that. Keep your eyes open for the differences that might appear in this chapter!**

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**Chapter 25: House De Luca.**

At first, the setting looked bland. Plain, in fact. This street was never filled with more than two people a time. A grand, olden-styled house stands in the middle. Gothic in its design, the wear of years did nothing of sorts in reducing it's beauty. Soft and gentle sunlight pours into the scene from the sky, itself accompanied by a few fluffy clouds here and there. You can even see butterfly flying around, prancing to and from the flowers in the bushes near the steps to the house. The sound of birds chirping fills the otherwise silent surrounding.

Thmp... Thmp... Thmp.. Steps entered the scene, slowly and steadily as they come. I couldn't actually differentiate which sound was my step and which was my heart-beat. Our steps, actually. Coming into view, Sergio and I walked up the path leading to the house.

"...Uh.. Are you sure this is a good idea?" Sergio calmly voices out, his head down, keeping his movements to a minimum. No doubt he feels as nervous as I am.

"No..." I answered him softly, my voice seemingly drained. What was I thinking, bringing Sergio here with me? I shake my head from side to side as confusion birthed from those questions. Don't worry, the De Lucas are reasonable people. I hope. Taking a gulp to regain my confidence and to still any shaking from my body, I tried to remain focus on why we're here. "Still, this is something I must do..." The words resonated in my head as thoughts. Sergio nodded as I begin my walk through the gate and towards the front door.

Badump. Badump. Badump. My heart was slowly pounding, the drum sounding off every second as I reached for the door. Badump. Badump.

!

All of a sudden, a creak rang off, and the door slowly opened. Both Sergio and I were so startled we took a step back. Out of the shadows that is inside the old building, comes a man I know too well. Blond hair swaying with the wind, they are separated into three different bangs, two long ones reaching to his cheeks at each side, and a short one just stopping above his eye level. His slow movement quickly erupted into one of impatience and emotion, slamming the door open. I even wondered if it was still attached to its hinges. Though he denies it, his outfit looked a lot like a butler's save for his own minor modifications. And it has white as it's main color. His name is Fionn De Luca...

...Kiera's older brother.

His outfit, as usual, lacking the standard coat, has his sleeves scrunched up at the sides. Sergio was probably too surprised to say anything, and I can't say that I'm much different. As soon as he saw us, he raised his arm and touched his forehead with right hand and fingers. "My, thought it was some stray disturbing our doorstep..." He casually gives out, eyes closed. "Though that would actually be better than this sight!" His casual voice turns to one of anger, or maybe annoyance, yelling out and slamming his right fist at the side of the doorstep. He doesn't like me. I get it.

"Look! We need to speak to Lord De Luca, this is important!" Sergio cuts in, walking in front of me and shoving his right arm in between me and Fionn, blocking him. I'm impressed Sergio recovered as fast as he did, must be his 'Bushido Code' kicking in.

"Well, well, what have we here? Another sad sap you dragged in to your lost cause?" Fionn remarks, he's voice and tone returning casual, with a hint of insult and sarcasm. After that, I hear him sigh, before doing something I never thought him capable. He calmed down, and welcomed us in. "Very well." Was his response.

As we entered the house, I begin to remember the De Lucas and their history.

_Powerful and charismatic, their members have always been strong in both skill and mind. I heard that members of the family, as in by blood, are all talented in many ways. Their physical and mental capacity, which exceeds that of an average human being, makes them highly coveted in any form of business. They are not a Mafia Famiglia, but rather, they perform like a mercenary group, following orders and decisions for as long as their will allows it. Bound by only their word, they are fiercely loyal, each to their own reasons. They do meet up as family, but what each does is of their own free will. The ties of the De Lucas and the Zannas go way back..._

The house seems deserted as we walked past room after room, not that the family is that large in the first place. I could see Sergio giving me strange looks as I caught his eyes. My eyes caught sight of Fionn, leading the way into the main hall. I couldn't actually tell from his eyes if he was angry or excited, or maybe both. The main hall opens up to a space that was large and wide, though not as large as the hall from my mansion. Still, it had this cool, antique feel to everything, from the statues lined up at the side near the wall, to the trophies placed above the fireplace. The smell of soot faintly enters my nose and the cackling sound of wood burning can occasionally be heard. There were three sets of sofas that was placed in an angular fashion, surrounding a large, square table. And, at the side in front of the fireplace, was a grand chair, one that looked more like a throne, fitting for a king, or a master.

That is, the Master of the house. His dead-serious stare watching us as we entered the scene, he sat in a powerful and imposing fashion, as if a reminder of his power and control. Yeah, I still remember him from before. The current head of the De Luca family.

Lord Gerald De Luca.

_I remember when I first came here to visit when I said I wanted to know more about Kiera's family. He is as powerful as he was back then. His seriousness kinda reminds me of Kiera when she's serious. Though, I did see him loosen up, especially when he's near his family. I bet one would not believe them to be the same man, should they not see it for themselves._

"Gulp.." The sound came out without control as I got to the sofa in front of him, with him still watching my every move. Kiera's father... "Uh.. Good.. Morning... Sir." I fumbled as I say out the words, giving out a bow as fast as I could, before taking my seat. Sergio wasn't at my side. I instructed him to stay back when I'll be speaking to Lord De Luca, so he silently leaned against the wall at his back at the side of the room. Instead, I find Kiera's brother standing behind me. I could almost feel his breath.

Focus. Focus! Think of the reason why I came here. The cackling of fire and wood continues as silence assumes its position in the room. I feel like I should say something. "I found out. Kiera's injuries. Any.. idea who caused them?" I slowly voices out the main reason why I came here, well, part of it anyway.

For a while, nothing happened. I couldn't tell if Lord De Luca was thinking, or he just ignored my question. That was when he pushed himself up to his feet, so quickly it nearly forced me to dig back deeper into the cushion of the sofa. He reveals his build to be one of broad shoulders and strong muscles, looking fit and strong for a man his age. He looked like a giant as his shadow towered above my head. "As you know, the Vongola Succession has started..." His booming voice, full of strength, scattered across the room. "And we had some interesting alliances since then, namely..." He continued, now pacing behind his chair, from the corner of the fireplace to the next. "We have now allied ourselves, as a family, to the Vongola."

Again with Vongola, the name comes up everywhere nowadays.

"Kiera no longer has a reason to affiliate herself with your Famiglia..." He continued, though I think I hear his voice straining a bit. "She no longer has to endanger herself by helping your Famiglia!" This time his voice carried with it the tone of irritation, anger. The words was followed by him throwing his left arm to the side. I listened on, I needed to know all the detail before saying a word. "So I gave her an ultimatum. Come home at her own free will, or we will drag her home.." He sounded calm as he said the line. "by force." As the last words came, his eyes shifted toward Fionn.

I knew it. It was Fionn's doing. He was the one who caused those wounds, those bruises. He was the only one who could. I can feel anger welling up within me as these thought raptures my mind, but I know violence won't solve anything.

"But wasn't she there for a reason? A tie between our two families that go way back...?" I couldn't help but ask. Surely, there must be more to this.

"I will not live each day knowing the fact that my daughter might die anytime because of some 'tie'!" Lord De Luca yells out, his eyes now flaring up, anger reaching its boiling point. Yet, I could feel a small sense of despair in his tone. It makes no sense! They're hurting her so that she won't get hurt? Hypocrites!

"Yeah, it was for her own good too." Fionn cut in to our conversation, as loudly and brashly as his voice could take him. How can he sound so... so... happy for what he did? How can.. How can he still talk like this! The man who is Kiera's brother now stands at the side of my sofa, a sly grin now on his face. "She has gone so weak ever since she joined your Famiglia!" His voice now had a slightly crazed tone to it. "She couldn't even raise her shield when I was striking her with my hammers!" My hands shiver with anger as I heard those words. I don't know how long I can keep this up. "It was pathetic!" He cried out, his right palm covering his eyes as well as hiding his smile, now streaked across his face in a ghastly manner.

!

"Crack!"

I just punched Fionn in the jaw. Everyone stands surprised at what I did, everyone except Fionn, who's eyes were hidden as his head was turned towards the ground. I clenched my hands into a fist and was gripping hard into my flesh. I've had it with this guy. I was too angry to think about the consequences of my actions. "How can you say that? She's family, your family!" I roared out at him. My right hand was already reaching for my holster.

"My, what a turn of events. I never expected that." Fionn's voice cut in to the situation like a cold wind just blew on a hot summer day. "Well, it's been a bit slow these few days, huh?" His words struck me as odd and out of place. That was when I was instantly struck by surprise, by a hammer as large and side as my torso. Coming out of nowhere, the force dug into my flesh and bone, fiery pain shot up to my nerves. Fionn seems to have pulled it out of nowhere. The next instant, I crashed through the wall from the main hall to the gardens. Pain then came at me in a barrage as my back struck the stone-wall from the gardens, and landed with a crash on the ground. My vision slipped to darkness as the last few things I saw was a few of the stone bricks falling on me.

* * *

**The De Luca family is unveiled! I wonder what impression they left on you guys? What will happen now that Amato has started a fight? Things are turning from bad to worse for Amato as this arc progresses. Check out the next chapter to see what Amato will do about this!**


	27. Conflicting Thoughts

**Author's Note:**

**Well, not much to say today. Things have been going smoothly, although I may be piling up with things I'm responsible for. Well, I'm still planning out stories, arcs and chapters for this fanfic, so you guys don't have to worry about this ending anytime soon!**

* * *

**Chapter 26: Conflicting Thoughts**

_The sunlight felt cooling compared to the heat I felt coursing through my body, as it sweated out the workout I just completed. I couldn't rightly remember when this was, but from the heat, I assume it was during Summertime. I paced each step, pressing on to the soft, green grass, towards Kiera, who was sitting in a stone-bench a few feet away. That was when I saw Kiera do something I never thought her capable. She was smiling. Her smile was so.. bright, calming. It.. was beautiful. She seemed distracted, as even when I made my way past her and stood by her shoulders, she did not notice me. There was something about that image, of Kiera sitting in the middle of this green scenery, grass swaying, sunlight shining, that felt so serene._

_That was when I noticed the picture she had in her hands. About the size of her palm,within the confines of the four, surrounding white edges was a picture of two people. Kiera, in her young age, with bright, green eyes and her golden-blond hair, shorter than now, looks really adorable, though I don't think I'll be saying that to her anytime soon. Beside her, holding her hands, was a boy with hair that shines just as bright. His scruffy look gives me the impression that he's pretty wild in terms of behavior, outgoing, perhaps?_

_At that time, I took a wild guess. "Uh.. Your brother, perhaps?" I casually ask out to Kiera. Kiera flustered her movements as soon as she realized I was where I was, and turned around to avoid my eyes. It looked like she didn't want me to see her happy like this. Well, that's fine, I'm glad to know she's not a robot._

"_Ye-yes." The reply came a few seconds later, to my surprise. _

_"You must really like him. Does he... know about this Mafia stuff?" I didn't know why Mafia came into the subject, but it just pushed itself into my thoughts. _

_"Yes." Another short reply came from Kiera while her back is still turned. It was a weird moment indeed, talking together while we were sitting in that position._

"_I love Big Brother. And I never want to see him hurt."_

_Those were the words Kiera declared after finally turning around a few minutes later. She had this smile on her face, so pure and innocent I never thought possible. I blushed a bit at her words, but soon realized how true they were._

Amidst the slight second of darkness, I heard the howl of the wolf again. Instantly, feeling and power entered my body, so fast it felt like my limbs would tear off my body. As if my senses exploded out, my eyes forced themselves open, bestial fury shown by my feral pupil, which now resembles that of a wolf. A twist with my left hand, I balanced my body and lifted it up with one hand, before pushing my self away with so much strength it was beyond anything I had before.

Apparently, my senses was right. At the moment I pushed myself away, a giant hammer, ornate designed with dragon and ram carvings, smashed right into where I was just lying at. The impact broke the stone wall and dug into the soil, with broken brick, soil and dust flying everywhere. As strange as it was, I could see his every movement, actions and even what I think he was feeling. I also realized that Fenris was already in my right hand, I must've reached for it instinctively before I slammed into the wall.

Kiera... How can he do this to you? How could he hurt you like this? The image of Kiera's smile gave me strength to accompany with my anger. I won't let that smile disappear!

"Haaaaaahhhhhh!" I yelled out as I landed, a tap on the ground was all I needed to launch myself sprinting towards Fionn. As that giant hammer came swinging, I let it come into contact with my leg, before quickly redirecting the strength towards the sky. "What?" Fionn exclaimed with a slightly surprised face as he witnessed what I did, and in that moment of weakness, I threw a punch with my right hand, Fenris grasped firmly. But, before it could connect, another giant hammer made its way into the trajectory, forcing me to pull back my hand before coming into full contact and sustaining damage. Jumping and backing off a few feet, I could see seriousness entering Fionn's eyes.

I had no time to recover from what happened, no time to strategize for what to do next. He came like a truck, ramming towards me as soon as my feet touched the ground. Twin hammers, each bigger than a head, swung around like they were made of cardboard. I could hear the stone cracking at his strikes and smell the soil and grass he knocked loose into the air. "Wrrraaaaagggghhhhhh!" Fionn came yelling, his eyebrow furrowed, a glare constantly shooting at me. All I could do was dodge.

So this is the White Titan. Yeah, I see how he got that title now. As opposed to Kiera's calm disposition and tranquil fury, Fionn's fighting style is one of primal emotions and pure power. Though it would seem like he has lost himself to anger, you can still see subtle moves and tactics being executed, even while he's roaring out. He's probably the only one that dual-wields hammers in these modern times.

"_His name is Fionn."_

Kiera's voice woke me into action. The memory of her cute, normal reactions and emotions only serve to fuel my anger. I dodged one of his swings by bending back, keeping my eyes on him at all times. The next second, I hear Kiera cry out in pain, all in my mind. "Yaaarrrrrgggghhhh!" I sceamed out without even knowing it, turning and giving him a reverse roundhouse kick, way faster than any kick I gave before. "Thud!" The kick connected, much to Fionn's chagrin. It seems he never expect me to hit him. "Swoosh!" One of his hammer came swinging, with me barely dodging it by a hair's length.

"Grr..." A growl so loud I could hear it by my neck came from Fionn's mouth.

"_He's so brave, strong. He never gives up, and he always stood up for me when I got bullied."_

The memories continue, the serene scene almost makes me want to forget about this fight. Then again, I could see in my mind, the hammer, Fionn's hammer, swinging down at high speed. Next, the cry of pain, and the crunching of bone and flesh. I could feel power welling up from my anger. I couldn't help but wonder, is my emotions affecting my Awakening? It seems that way. "Fiiiioooooooonnnnnn!" I scream out once again, throwing another roundhouse kick, swing my leg to crash into his face. Fionn, unexpectedly, stumbled as he dodged. Something seems to be happening with him as well.

Back there, near the hole I busted, Lord De Luca and Sergio stands watching. "Amato!" Sergio shouted out to me, trying to make his way across, before being blocked by Lord De Luca. "What are you doing? He's your son, right? Stop him!" Sergio's cries only fell on deaf ears, for Lord De Luca did nothing of the sorts.

"He must end what fights he starts. He must already realize the consequences when he threw that first punch." Sergio face showed confusion at the sound of those words.

"I.. can't just watch him like this..." Sergio muttered, gritting hard on his teeth. "Darn it, weakness..." Sergio muttered under his breath, gripping his hands into a fist. Sergio's own despair catches Lord De Luca's eyes, as the two continue watching the fight.

"_He's powerful too! He was the one who taught me how to wield my shield!"_

At that sentence, Kiera turned around, her smile so bright, unlike any thing I've seen before. But soon, that too dissipated. In its place, was new, more frightening image. Fionn stood with his hammers, while Kiera fell to the ground, covered with wounds and blood. She could not fight back because of her love for her brother. I know it is all in my imagination, but who is to say whether their next meeting may end like this or not? I even feel myself squinting my eyes, avoiding the image in my mind. Though, I cannot deny that it didn't give me strength. "Arrrgggghhhhh!" Once again, I roared and howled like an animal, throwing a side kick towards his shoulders. "Crack." The sound erupted from the impact as my foot struck his hammer. I couldn't feel any feeling from my foot after that, or maybe I was just too angry to feel it at all.

"Ugh.." Fionn gave out after the strike, pushed back from the force.

Suddenly, the arm wielding the hammer that struck my foot, his right arm, started shivering. So hard it was, that I saw him drop his hammer to the ground and fell to one knee. I think I could also see his muscles giving off convulsions. "Huff... No way!" Fionn cried out, his eyes wide with anger, or maybe fear. He looked at me ike I'm some kind of monster. "Attacco di Squalo?" He asks out, confusion in his tone.

"What?" That vague response was the only word that came to mind.

"You figured out the technique instinctively? That impossible!" Fionn yells out, now sounding more desperate than ever.

Of course, I didn't care for what he was saying, and I'm not about to give up this opening. Closing in on him, I raised my right leg to drop an axe kick down on his neck. I was planning to put everything into this strike.

"_I love Big Brother. And I never want to see him hurt."_

That one line made me doubt my action, and that was probably a stupid move. "Huff.. Puff..." I was breathing fast, as the conflicting thoughts clouded my judgement. Kiera. Should I really be fighting her brother? By then, I already backed away a few steps.

"Amato! Look out!" I only snapped back to reality as I heard Sergio's warning, that was when Fionn swung his left hammer at me. I tried to dodge, but I was too late. "Crack!" The sound rang through my bones as I was struck in the stomach. I could feel my muscles oozing blood while pain shot out from the area to the rest of my body. I fell to my knees, arms wrapped around my stomach.

"Ah, I see where your training's gotten you now." Fionn mentioned casually, strangely regaining his composure. "Looks like it's a mistake for you to come here today..."

"Fionn, stop!"

Her voice, so clear and familiar, drew each and everyone of our eyes. I turned my head to see Kiera, slowly walking into the garden through a fence door. She showed confusion and sadness in her eyes, not a good sign. "Please, don't hurt Amato anymore..." Kiera's face shows that she had given up. No, she's just gonna get hurt even more!

"Kiera..." I called out with what's left of my voice, as the two sibling got closer with each step.

* * *

**Oh, well how was this chapter? I have to admit, I'm kinda afraid of how unbelievable this whole ordeal is. I hope it is, and if not, I hope it's at least tolerable. Look out for the next chapter and the end of this arc!**


	28. Family

**Author's Note:**

**Woo hoo! It's the holidays for me right now! Which means, more time to draw, more time to write and more time to play! It's been difficult trying to think of a fantastical, yet believable reason as well as outcome to the arc, and I really hope the conclusion it comes to is enjoyable! I also hope that your view on some of the characters grew as this arc comes to an end!**

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**Chapter 27: Family**

"Kiera!" I could hear Sergio's voice crying out as Kiera enters the scene. Me? I was still trying to balance myself, my arms still wrapped around my stomach. By accident, I caught sight of Sergio trying to enter the area to help me, only to be blocked by Lord De Luca once more.

"You're not strong enough to survive the strikes." His words was blunt, decisive. I could see Sergio, his eyes full of confusion and anger, as he heard those words, and is forced to step back.

The sun shines a great, soft tint of orange as it's glow radiates from the sea, the shores. The light even reaching the street where the De Luca house stands.

Step. Step. Step. Soft, graceful sounds came to my ears. My eyes then caught sight of Kiera, her steps ever so graceful, slowly making her way towards her brother. "Kiera... No.. Wait!" I squeeze out the words and my body tried hard to recover from the previous strike. I could see Kiera's eyes, those that speaks of guilt and sadness, as she continued, ignoring my words. Darn. What is she doing? Is she... going back with them?

"Please.. This has nothing to do with Amato! He.. can't afford to get hurt for my sake!" Amidst my thoughts, I was suddenly pulled back into the situation by Kiera's words. No... I want to do this! Surely she don't truly mean that, right? I.. would do anything I can to protect her! More so if everything is my fault! Seeing her hurt, her body covered in wounds, black and blue, as she pull up her sleeves, is so... difficult, so painful. How could I let this happen to her?

"So you're coming back?" Fionn casually voiced out, his tone of voice returning to normal, but there was a hint of irritation.

"..." Kiera did not give her reply, and from her looks, one of confusion and emotion, I think she was still unsure. This is the first time, and perhaps the only time, I ever saw her like this. But, I also had a very strange feeling about Fionn. If everything seems to be happening in his favor, why is he even irritated? Kiera then shuts her eyes, as if trying hard to decide. Then, something unexpected happened.

"That face... Dammit!" Fionn just exploded with emotion, anger particularly, right after seeing Kiera's look.

In one swift motion, he pulled his hammer, the one in his left hand, over his shoulders, and swung it down, the hammer itself flying directly at Kiera! "Crack, Doom!" The sounded impact burst off as the hammer struck the ground once more. Kiera, as usual, effortlessly dodge the strike, jumping to the sides as right before the hammer could connect. Though she did it with her eyes closed, Kiera's eyes flew open as she landed to the side. From darkness, she come to see her brother lunging at her, already jumping towards her, the hammer already coming down. I think I can see more sadness in Kiera's eyes now. "Aaaaaarrrrggggghhhhhhh!" Fionn's anger was way past whatever line you call control, roaring and swinging his hammer in a frenzy, with Kiera just jumping back and dodging almost all of them with little to no effort.

As Fionn's assault continued, I was struggling. I could still feel the pain, and I'm continuously trying to push it away. The muscles around my waist pulses and convulses as I tried to stand upright after hunching down for so long. The pain pushes itself throughout my body as my heart pumps and the wound throbbed. Thu-thump. Thu-thump. Thu-thump. It felt as though my vision was jumping with each heartbeat, the sound cutting into my hearing every time it comes up. Yet, the sound that was the loudest at that time, was the sound of my thoughts. Fionn's reaction has produced a lot of questions in my mind, and I believe I came up with an answer.

Well, I think it's the answer.

As I moved, Fionn strikes continue, turning the garden into some sort of a mini-wasteland, craters everywhere. The pain and the sound pulsing through me feels like they've been lessened. As I watched Kiera, I knew that she would slip up sooner or later, either her movement dulled because of she herself getting tired, or her brother catching up to her speed. "Yaaarrrrrgggghhhh!" Each of Fionn's howl came louder than before. "Ah!" Kiera's voice suddenly pulls in my attention, and there I saw her clutching her ankle, bending down on one knee. Did she just sprained her ankle? At that thought, I began moving towards her. Fionn stands once again, hammer in his left hand. His right hand limping with inaction. His eyes were ones of despair. Pushing energy to my feet, I pushed myself forward just as Fionn let down the hammer.

"Crack!" The sound vibrated in my body and my mind, and perhaps throughout the scene, as the giant, ornate hammer drove itself into my left shoulder. I'm now standing in the front, blocking Kiera from Fionn's blow. "A-Augh!" I couldn't help voicing out as the pain surged.

"Amato!" Kiera shouted out as soon as she saw me, immediately coming to my side to help me up.

"It's not your fault..." I began voicing out my words, hoping to change the situation. I could see Kiera and Fionn's eyes wonder at exactly what I was trying to say. "Whatever happened before... It isn't your fault, both of you..." Kiera and Fionn's eyes widen themselves at those words. I struggle to keep myself standing, perhaps that previous action was a bit too reckless on my part. My first answer to all this was kinda simple, unbelievable even. Sibling rivalry? A simple fact that Kiera got better than her brother even though she was younger, and Fionn didn't take that well. But, judging from their reactions, it seems there's more at work. "Please, Fionn. Kiera loves you too much to even raise her own defense against you... I'll let her go, back to you guys... As long as you can promise me you'll patch up whatever that's happened before.." I say out with a soft tone before falling to one knee. I may have taken too much damage. "Just take good care of her, all right? She's your little sister. She's family..." I tried putting on a smile as I said those words. "...She's my family." I finished my sentence with those words. No doubt, Fionn and Lord De Luca was surprised. Now, all that's left is Fionn's reaction.

A few seconds went by, but immediately after that, Fionn again showed despair on his face, his eyes. In a swift motion he brought up his Hammer once more!

"Enough!" A booming voice, deep and low, powerful in its presence, rang across the scene. Kiera and Fionn, knowing the voice too well, turned and look towards their father. "Enough." He repeated, turning and walking back into the house. Strangely, all of us followed. I guess they didn't want to disobey their father. "Kiera... This young man.." The Lord speaks to Kiera as his eyes slide to Sergio.

"...He has potential."

After a waiting for what seemed like an hour, Kiera walked out into the main hall together with Fionn, who was looking rather apologetic. Sergio and I could only wonder what happened. "..." They just kept giving glances towards each other, not saying a word. "So... Is everything okay now?" I say so with a smile. I could hear the sound of a facepalm behind me. Hey, nothing wrong with a little smile, right? "C'mon, make up!" I pushed the two of them together. Fionn gave me a sharp glare but didn't say anything.

"I'm sorry... Kiera.." I could barely catch what he said, but he sounded like he's apologizing. Kiera then jumped and gave Fionn a big hug!

"It's okay... I'll never blame you for anything you did! I understand!" Kiera say out giving off a wide smile, surprising me and Sergio.

"Sniff..." I could suddenly hear sobbing.

"Ha! Are you crying?" I couldn't help but point it out to Fionn.

"Shut up!" He replied while we all burst out laughing.

A few minutes later, Sergio, Kiera and I are all back together in the Zanna mansion, main hall. I find myself standing in the hall, staring at the sunlight, the rays shining into the hall through the windows. I wonder what was decided back there? I think Kiera's safe from any more hurting, right? "Uh... Shouldn't you be getting back to your revision?" Sergio's voice cuts into my thoughts. Sergio was standing right there beside me.

"Just... Cut me some slack all right!" I complained. "Crack!" A sound resonated out from my body. "O-ow!" The reaction alone made Sergio take a step back, eyes widened and arms raised, looking sorry. Though, I think it's all exaggeration though.

"Um... Amato?" Her soft, cute voice a change from what I usually hear, I turn to see Kiera, looking the same as before. Well, with a bit more emotion on her face, at least. "Papa... wanted you to have this..." She meekly say it out as she presented a letter to me. As my hand grabbed it, Kiera's face flushed with red. Strangely, the seal had been torn off neatly. Was it opened before?

"Okay..." I voiced out as I wondered what Lord De Luca would want to say to me. Taking out the letter, I was surprised at what was written. The words go something like this:

_Dear Zanna Decimo,_

_You are... a man worthy of these words. I do not know if you knew, but the situation has been better, thanks to your efforts. Fionn can be a handful, a young man so prideful and full of emotions, that sometimes it clouds his thoughts and decisions. Kiera is an angel, but her upbringing may have resulted in her not being able to speak her mind or what she is truely feeling. Today was the first time I saw her do and say what she wanted in a long time._

_Truly, these situations you witnessed have been going on for a long time now. A clash of emotions and memories, and I cannot say that I am not responsible for it. I wanted to seek help, but, my personality had prevented any progress from being made. Strange that a stranger was all it took to help us, the De Luca family, back together again. Correction, you are not a stranger. You did something I could not do for seven years now. Your words changed Fionn when mine was pushed aside._

_I know I'm not one of emotion. And, we didn't exchange many words even though we met on several occasions, but, nonetheless, I am grateful. Please, I ask of you, take this letter as an official message of appreciation for what you have done. I am sure Kiera's courage came from her time with you as well. Honestly, I did not think I would see Lucciano again, but today, I saw his image in you. I was not sure if I could trust Kiera to you, but you have proven yourself capable enough._

_As of today, my view of the Zanna Famiglia changed. With your hands at the helm, I'm sure the Famiglia will rise as one of fame, reputation and honor. And so, I end this message today with joy as the image of a bright future for your Famiglia can be seen in my mind, as well as a future for both you and my angel._

_Your Father-in-law,_

_Lord Gerald De Luca_

_P.S. If anything happens to Kiera, I will__ hold you responsible._

"Gulp." The sound came out as I read the last line. I was surprised, to say the least, but happy. Then my eyes focused on the words he signed off with. "Wait, Father-in-law?" I asks out loudly, as I came into realization of what this would mean. Turning to Kiera, I saw her flushed and blushed even harder, before feeling it myself. I think she read this letter beforehand. Before I could say anything, Kiera was already trotting away. As I looked on, Kiera turned to give a small, happy smile, before disappearing behind a wall.

"Well, today certainly turned out better than you expected, huh?" Sergio gives me his thoughts as I begin walking him towards the door.

"Yeah..." I replied, pushing the main doors aside. "Well, thanks for today." I say out together with my goodbyes as Sergio did the same. Walking back in, I can't help but feel like there's something more to this situation I help resolved. Well, I'm just glad everything happened the way it did, no one getting hurt and Kiera being able to stay. Seeing Kiera and Fionn when they made up felt warm, is this what they call 'Family'? Maybe Kiera might tell me the story one day, and I've got a feeling it's not exactly a pleasant one. "Crack.." Another cracking sound gave out from my muscles and bones. "Ow..." I whined to myself, making my way back to my study.

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**Wow, this took way longer than I planned. I guess I'm not that good at all these emotional stuff, mainly because I never went through it myself, so I feel it may be too unbelieveable to be used in a story. Hey, the end of this arc also means some changes coming to the story, I'm going back to the one chapter per week quota, cause I have to start working on my school projects and stuff. As usual, keep you eyes out for the next chapter, and maybe a few surprises along the way!**


	29. Kiera's Going On A Date?

**Author's Note:**

**Hey guys, for those who didn't notice, this chapter's coming out with another chapter for another story! That story's interesting, I promise you! And that particular story actually has something to do with this one, let's just say, it's not just another story. I hope you guys can take your time to read that one as well!**

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**Chapter 28: Kiera's Going On A Date?**

Staring out the window, another day went by as I continued my hopeless revisions. All the time spent on studying only made it more obvious how difficult all these questions are. Let's see, mathematics. All I have to remember are the formulas, the equations, right? The sounds of the wind blowing through the empty streets only reminded me of how nothing is coming into my mind. So, I find myself staring out the window, looking to find anything interesting enough to distract me from this. I know, I know, I really shouldn't be doing this. Examinations are just around the corner, after all. That would explain why the street are so empty nowadays.

"Whooosh!" A chilly gust of wind blew through the half-opened window, triggering a shiver down my body. Oh yeah, winter's real close as well.

Tick tock. Tick tock. Darn, I can feel my eyelids drooping as I sit here thinking. I need help. But, who can I ask in the Famiglia? And for what, help in revisions? "Sigh... Maybe Kiera can help me out." I absentmindedly voiced out. The sound of my heavy, wooden, antique chair dragging along the floor served as an alarm to stop me from falling asleep as I forced myself up to my own two feet. Shaking my head from side to side, I dragged my feet along the wooden floor before regaining full sense of my body. "Right, now where is she...?" I wondered out loud as I went from room to room.

"All right, I'll meet you there. The usual place. Okay?" The walls moved aside to show Kiera in a distance, in a corner, talking on the phone in the main hall with a somewhat casual tone. As with everything else, the phone has an ornate design, beautifully crafted, making it look more like decoration and not something usable. Strangely, after hearing those words, I find my steps slowing down and my body hiding behind one of the pillars in the hall. She's meeting someone? Well, this is definitely something new. Is it a date? I guess I should be happy for her.

Yet, why am I sneaking behind her? As all those thoughts, as well as new questions popping up, I find myself slowly wondering what exactly Kiera is gonna do, and who is she meeting with? I know it's none of my business, but I feel like I gotta know!

"Hey, so you're a stalker now?" That ever-familiar, ever-sarcastic, ever-cynical voice cuts into my senses, freezing me in my tracks, partly because that's exactly what I'm doing. I turn to see Vito leaning on a wall in a corner to the side. His eyes were closed, and he had this wry smile on his face. He shakes is head from side to side, as if somewhat disappointed in me. Though he usually doesn't care, he must be doing this to annoy me. His long, neat, disheveled bangs, flowing straight in a river of auburn, seems to curl with his expression, like snakes.

"Hey, I'm just... concerned, okay?" I desperately give out my reason, though it feels like I failed to even convince myself.

"Right, right, right." Vito replies nonchalantly. Three right usually means they're joking.

"I heard she's dating someone..." Vito says it out, loudly, or at least, it felt that way. I couldn't help but think about what he said. Or he could be just messing with me. I could never tell with that face of his.

"Really?" I asks, my tone made it sound like I was in denial.

"Yeah, the Valkyrie's started dating. Betcha never thought someone as serious as her could ever have a date, right?" Vito suddenly burst forth with emotions, looking all surprised and excited. I wanted to scold him for talking bad about Kiera like that, but I guess I was too flooded with thoughts. "Yeah, that girl that stood right there, laughing, smiling and blushing like that on the phone. Can't believe she's the same Black Valkyrie." Vito speaks out, nodding his head, as if affirming what he saw in his mind.

"Slam!" The sound resonated through the near empty hall as the Kiera closed it behind her. Well, time to move. "Vito... Uh... Take care of things while I'm gone..." I struggled to say as my feet brought me to the door. "Just... keep everything in check, just that!" I cried out as I pushed the two doors open.

"Yeah, yeah. Hey, tell the lucky guy I said hi." He smiled, a real fake, glass smile as he waved his hands with the doors closing. I couldn't hear him, I was already rushing to catch up with Kiera.

As I tried hard to follow without getting discovered, keeping my distance, Kiera looked the same as always. She walked on, each step as graceful as ever. She has that presence she always had with her. No shield, this is looking more and more like what Vito said. Suddenly, she stopped, and began looking at one of the dresses on display, strangely, with much admiration. "Now she's... adjusting her hair?" She's never bothered about stuff like that before! She is going on a date!

"Wh-whoa!" As Kiera resumed her steps, my legs froze over for standing too long, leaving me hanging as I grabbed onto a lamppost to prevent myself from falling. I looked in her direction to make sure she didn't catch any of that, before shivering all over. "I should've brought a muffler..." Good thing the streets was empty, that would've been mighty awkward.

After a long walk, Kiera's steps came to a stop. Her eyes looked eager, as she stood waiting for the other party to arrive. The area was kinda strange, I find ourselves standing on a path near the shoreline, the sound of waves crashing against the beach can be heard every few seconds. It was strange because, though beautiful, it was one of the more secluded places in Venice, the path to others shops would take about an hour to reach. Not an ideal place for a date, unless they wanted to spend the entire day at the beach. Wait, that's not so bad, now that I think about it.

That was when I heard the footsteps. Wind blowing, the figure walked casually, nearing us with each step. He had a regular yellow t-shirt on, which was strange, considering how chilly it was. With black, baggy track pants and sneakers, the attire was strange for someone going on a date. Well, I wasn't paying attention to that, I was paying attention to who it was. His dark green hair was glistening, even from the distance, from the faint, shining sun. I feel my eyes widening than ever before as I saw that hairstyle, neat and pulled back, revealing his forehead. He walked on with a small smile as he approached Kiera. I still can't believe who I'm seeing.

"Sergio?" I yell out to myself, after finding myself unable to contain it in any longer.

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**Did you guys see that coming? What exactly are the two doing? Well, of course I'm not going to reveal anything here! Keep a look out for the next chapter, as new information is going to be revealed! Oh, and be sure to read my new story as well, I promise that it'll be interesting!**


	30. I Want To Help

**Author's Note:**

**The bond of friendship, the will to do good, the rise of a hero, these are what's important for a good shonen manga, or in this case, a good story. Nobody can get sick of watching a character grow, his joys, his pain, and everyone feels for the character as he or she reads it. I hope this chapter can bring about such wonderful feelings!**

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**Chapter 29: I Want To Help.**

It was in the afternoon, yet, it felt like the evening, the sun covered by the number of clouds in the sky, sunlight barely touching the ground. I was still in hiding, though my movements have dulled a bit for a while now. I can't believe it. Sergio and Kiera? I guess I was still plenty surprised as I followed the two towards the shoreline. "Uh..." I shivered as another breath of the chill touched my body. I really hate the cold. Still, their actions are rather... strange... for a couple. Sergio nodded to Kiera, who in turn did the same, before they headed for the shoreline. It just feels very business-like.

I find myself hopping between benches and lamp-posts as I tried hard to keep my presence hidden. Of course, I don't expect them to welcome such spying. I know, I really shouldn't be doing this.

So I finally find myself stopping by a bench a few steps away from the two, who are now standing on the beach, looking out at sea. For some reason, Sergio's attire, which reminds me of something you wear when you go to exercise, was really distracting me a lot. Why is he wearing that anyway?

In an instant, out of nowhere, Sergio pulls a pair of chains. Long, black, cold, metallic chains, right in his hands. This feels a lot like Kiera, when she pulls her shield seemingly out of nowhere, the action only surprises me further. What's he doing with those? Looking around, the shoreline looks deserted, with a few contraptions and pieces of metal here and there, at the side, a stone cliff blocks off the rest of the shore. "Wait... I don't think I've ever been here before.. What is this place?" I find myself whispering out.

A click suddenly signal off, and about a dozen rocks, each the size of my head, was flung right at Sergio. I find my eyes widen with surprise as I worry for Sergio's safety.

"Crink! Klank! Kashink!"

The sound of metal clashing against the rocks rang off the quiet surroundings as before I knew, Sergio swung his chains to deflect and knock those rocks out of trajectory. Of course, I didn't expect the guy to just stand there and get hit, but his movement, they were fast, faster than I ever seen him move. "Whoa..." He looked powerful. But, it confuses me even more. Is he under attack? Maybe... looking at his attire.. this is training? Looking at Sergio, his eyes were ones of pure determination. His chains moved so fast they seem to cut the air and push the wind. Seriously, it looked unbelievable, even for mafia standards. The chain seemed to move according to his will.

"Is this... why he's been missing school these few weeks?" I can't help but ask myself. Why is he doing this? I feel as though I'm the reason he's training so hard as I hid behind the bench, as pathetic as it looked.

A metal chain suddenly flies out of control after coming into impact with one of the larger rocks, and the rebound launched it back towards Sergio. In a second, it struck his back with a loud crack, the sound as if his bone had been fractured. "Argh!" Sergio growled out in pain, falling to one knee. Even so, he quickly recovered as the rocks never stopped flying towards him. Sergio! I wanted to shout out his name, but I was so surprised, my voice was delayed. "Ser-"

"I see we've been discovered. Perhaps I should be more aware of your tendency to stalk people, Lord Amato."

The voice made me jump, partly because the words immediately told me it was Kiera. Of course, I know full well my actions was downright wrong, still, I had hoped she wouldn't actually find out. "Um.. I wasn't stalking you..." I turned around and faced her, even if I find myself trying to avoid her gaze. Kiera stood as she always do, calm and poise as ever. "And I certainly wasn't spying on you guys..." I continued. In my mind, I was wondering why I was even saying those words. ".. and your date." I added at the end. Wait, from what I saw, this couldn't be date, so why am I still saying that?

"Date?" Kiera gave out as I see her confused. The sound of metal continues as we spoke, in fact, cries of pain sounded off right after the clashes. "What makes you think I was on a date?" Kiera asks out, looking slightly annoyed amidst her usual seriousness. Her eyes demand an answer, it seems. "You... adjusted your look... before you.. met up.. with Sergio?" Of course, I don't expect that answer to work. I myself find it stupid. After a few seconds, I see Kiera blush just so slightly on her cheeks. " So I can't adjust my look on a daily basis?" Kiera kinda yells it out in a soft, yet angry tone. Oh boy, she sounds mad. Now I'm not sure if her flushed face is because of her blushing or she's just plain angry. "And the whole reason I started to care about my looks is because of you-" Kiera's voice suddenly die off to a whisper, as her cheeks went bright red. As if realizing something, her eyes went wide before she shuts them off, although her eyebrows were still furrowed, in anger, I think.

The sound continued, bursting forth into the surroundings as Kiera calmed herself. "Right, Sergio!" I called out as I turned, planning to help him out as the thought of him being injured return into my mind. "Please refrain from disturbing Mister Sergio's training, Lord Amato." Kiera's words stopped me in my tracks. So he is training, but why? It seems so difficult, so painful. As I watched him endure the pain of getting struck by his own chains as he tries to manipulate their movements, I feel as though I could feel the pain myself. "Why is he doing this to himself?" The question could not be held back.

"He's doing this for you sake, Lord Amato." Those are the words recited by Kiera as I looked to her for answers, though I could say I wished she didn't say them.

_It was during the week you fell into your coma. As your mind slipped into your sub-consciousness, Mister Sergio and Miss Regina would come once or twice a week to visit, to see how you were doing. Once in a while, I would catch Mister Sergio in a corner, guilt in his eyes, gritting his teeth. The guilt of landing you in this state, for blocking and saving him and Regina, must be chewing hard on his soul. I believe he felt useless, as he could do nothing for you in that situation. I worried, but refrained myself from any action, for it would indoubtedbly drag him into danger. The decision of such must come from himself. I understood that you would not wish to drag your friend into this._

"Am I correct, Lord Amato?" Kiera asks out to me as I snapped back to the present from the past I imagined.

I find myself nodding at Kiera's words as all kinds of thoughts flooded my mind. I didn't think Sergio would felt that bad. I.. never considered how the two of them would feel when they see me in bed like that.. and to think, they feel it's their fault... Darn it. Darn it! Without a word, Kiera continues her explanation.

_The week before you woke up however, he did something I never expected. "I want to help." Those were his exact words as he looked straight into my eyes, this time his guilt is replaced with fiery determination, his will. But, undying will is not enough to survive, as you know well enough, so I said it straight to his face. "You're not strong enough." I declared. There was no point in conforting him with lies. "Then train me." He roared out, as if he was desperate. Maybe he was._

_With a few more steps, he was at your bedside. Looking straight at you, I could see how sad he was. "I owe Amato my life.." He said it out in a low, regretful tone. ".. and I intend to pay him back in full." The words were ones of strong sense and powerful will. _

"_I swear it, by my Bushido Code."_

"_So don't you die on me, Amato!" He roared out once more. After those words, I... couldn't deny him what he wanted. And so, we started training. He breezed through the basics like it was nothing. I may have missed it, but within his body structure, lies great potential. It was as if he was born to be a hitman. Still, we had to take things step by step._

"So.. He's doing all this just so he could help out with the Mafia stuff?" I ask out according to my thoughts. In my mind, I think of how I may have derailed Sergio from his path in life. He could've gone on and lived as an average guy, get a normal job, marry some girl, have kids. None of it would threaten his life and existence. I watched as Kiera stayed silent, her eyes closed, denying me any hint of what she's thinking. Sergio's routine has now changed to him using his two chains and pulling on a rock about five times his own size. "..." No words could come out of my mouth to express how much I didn't want him to help me, cause I know I cannot be selfish enough to deny his decision. I watched as he pulled, breathless, veins bulging all around his body, as he pushed himself to make sure he completes the course he set for himself.

"Huff... Puff.. Huff.." Sergio's breaths were louder than any sound as I sat there on the bench, and they were just as visible, as hazy, white puffs of clouds. He kneeled on the sands on his two knees, the chains still tied to the rock, left there in the exact same position as when he had completed the course. He didn't say anything when I walked towards him with Kiera, his mind concentrated on the training, while I felt it wasn't the time to be saying anything. His eyes, even as he kneeled there, gasping for air, were those of pure determination, even as tired as he is, he refused to lower his head, his back as straight as it can be.

Just by looking, I could almost see the fire of his will, burning up as he refused to give up, and trained as hard as he could.

But, still. Is it worth risking his life everyday helping me? Is it worth getting into situations where death is just a heart-beat away? Is it worth losing the peace of mind you can have without worrying for your life every second? Without thinking, I was already walking towards him. "Sergio..." I muttered out as I placed my hand on his shoulder. In an instant, I felt extreme shivering and convulsions, coming from his body, signs of exhaustion. "Please, after training..." Finally Sergio acknowledges my presence, though he didn't even shift his eyes to meet mine. "Stop. You're tired. You need to rest." I know, because I went through the same thing before, for a few years, in fact.

"I said stop!" I yelled out at him, pulling his chains off his body and throwing him onto the bench.

After a few minutes of rest, as well as a few bottles of water later, we were finally ready to talk. "Look, Sergio..." I tried, I tried to throw him off his path, to dissuade him from doing all this, but something inside me just held me back. "I know what you want to do.. I understand how you feel... but.." I continued on, stammering at my words. Kiera stood, eyes closed, the same as always, while Sergio's eyes are focused at the sea. "No.. You don't. You don't know how I felt, how me and Regina felt, when we found out it was our fault that you nearly died." His eyes never moved, but he speaks with a tone that felt full of wisdom. "When I tried to hold off Dante, I couldn't do a thing. It felt like he was playing with his food!" He growled out as he gritted his teeth, smashing his fist onto the bench. "If you didn't wake up from that coma, I would've caused my best friend to die, because of my weakness.."

When Sergio said it like that, I couldn't feel the chill of the wind anymore. The fiery passion inside my best friend seems to resonate to the surroundings. "You face peril everyday, and I didn't know anything about it.." Sergio's tone now changed to one of sadness and regret. "Well, I won't just stand by and do nothing anymore. According to the Code, my life now belongs to the man who saved me."

The decision came after a long pause of silence, as the wind blew, the waves crashed. The sunlight is now setting, the deep orange tint now stretched across the sky. "Sigh.." I guess I really shouldn't disagree anymore. I don't think I can change something he feels so strongly for. "All right. You can help." At those words, Sergio finally turned and looked at me. "You still need to train.. Just.. don't push yourself too hard.." I declared my view on this whole thing now, not as his best friend, but as Zanna Decimo, tenth boss of the Zanna Famiglia.

I watched as a cool smile stretched across Sergio's face, as we knocked our elbows together, exactly the same way we did years ago.

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**The end of another chapter, detailing Sergio's official entry into the Famiglia! How will he hold up? How will he fare in his missions? Is he strong enough now? Keep a lookout for new chapters to find out more!**


	31. Leave It To Me

**Author's Note:**

**Time for another adventure, another arc, and more improvements! Cameos, maybe? I'm guessing without the cameos, readers might get turned off by the story, or maybe you guys already are turned off. Well, don't worry, there will be some cameos that everyone will recognize in this arc, so sit back and enjoy!**

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**Chapter 30: Leave It To Me.**

There it was. The ticking of the clock, each second feeling as though it's dragging itself. One could feel the whole student body, gripping their hands in anticipation, for the examination to end. The sound of pencils tapping on the table was drowned off by the tick of the clock. Every student was waiting eagerly for the bell in their own, unique way. After all, you can't be a student studying in Venice high without being creative. That is, everyone except me. Everyone looked confident in their paper, so much that I heard scoffing when the examination was taking place. I, myself, sat there, staring hard at the answers I've written. I wasn't so sure whether the things I've written is correct.

I know. Usually uncertainty means the answer I've written is wrong. So I find myself constantly shifting through the answers and lying my head on the table. Beads of sweat roll down my forehead slowly as I worried. I can't afford to fail! I need to maintain my C+ average! Maybe I need to check through for any mistakes one more time. As I reach out for the paper once more however...

"Riiiinnnggggg!"

The scream of the bell signaled a number of sighs from my class. Soft, random chatter was aroused immediately after. "All right, all pens down. You heard the bell." The low, deep voice of the invigilator for the exam say out as he stood up from his seat. He was a teacher we never had for any of our classes, but, despite his tone and size, he seemed like a nice man, albeit a bit on the strict side. "You guys can go. Your mid-terms is officially over." Even as he declared, students were already jumping out of their seats, excited over the end of this stressful period.

"Oh yeah, you guys up for some chinese food?" A random guy kept shouting out.

"Phew, it's finally over..." A soft, female voice gave out her relief.

"Let's go out for a celebration!" The words came out like a wild, yet unified bunch of voices.

"Hey, c'mon, it wasn't that bad, right?" Suddenly, a familiar voice caught my attention. It was Sergio.

"Says the guy who aces all his papers." I retorted, as if annoyed by what he said.

"Ahahaha..." Sergio replied by laughing in a not so usual tone, the voice slowly whittling down as he did.

"Oh, well, I gotta go." Sergio cut in as he saw the clock hanging on the wall.

"Training?" I asked, I don't know why, but it automatically came to my mind.

"Yeah." Sergio words came from a few steps away as he was already moving towards the door.

"Good luck!" I give my friend my best wishes as he left, waving goodbye.

"Skritch. Sich. Skritch." The sound of pencils still writing drew my attention as I sat there in the almost empty classroom. I didn't expect anyone to still be here, after that little explosion of shouts as the mass of my class walked out of the classroom. Turning my head, the image of grey walls began changing as a person came into my sight. "Prez?" I asks out as my voice seemed to resonate across the now silent room. The President of our class sat in her seat, her attention focused on what she was doing. She seemed to be recoding down details. "Uh, Prez? Shouldn't you be going home?" Of course, I can't say I'm not worried. She seemed to be overworking herself.

"The school requires the details of what happened during the Culture Festival to be recorded, they're expecting my report." The Prez gave out without turning to look at me even once. Oh right, she's the President for the Student Council as well. She reminds me of Kiera as she kept on writing, determined to finish. I find myself taking a seat beside her, partly because I feel like it's my fault she's writing this. "Of course, I don't expect anyone to accept this. After all, who would believe we were attacked by armed men, a baby and a giant octopus?" The Prez say out with her eyes closed as she tidied her report, standing up from her seat.

"Ahahaha..." This time, I was the one sounding suspicious as my thoughts were confirmed. I guess I should be happy no one actually remembered what I did.

"There you are, Adele!" A group of girls strolled in as they saw the Prez. "C'mon, we're going Karaoke, remember?" They told her, their voice full of hope and joy.

"I'm sorry, something came up." And just like that, the light in their eyes dimmed a little. Silent assumed as their reaction was delayed.

"Hey, Hey! Don't worry! I'll help. Prez, you can go enjoy yourself." I cut into their conversation when I saw how sad Prez looked.

"Eh?" I saw the Prez take a step back in surprise as a faint red hue appeared on her cheeks, taken aback by my words. "No, I can't... It's my responsibility." A rare sight, I actually saw the Prez worried as she was confused. "I have to clean up the in-door hall as well." She continued.

"Well, it's the whole Student Council's responsibility, yet the other members are long gone..." I tried my best to persuade her to go. I think her friends got the message as well, and they began pulling her, urging her to go.

"...Are you sure?" The Prez, still indecisive over what to do, seems to have come to an impasse.

"Yeah, leave it to me." I say out with as much spirit as possible, with as big a smile I could muster on my face.

"...Thanks, Amato." I couldn't quite catch her voice, considering how soft it was, but I think the Prez... was thanking me. By now, she was clearly blushing. "And, um.. Could you call me by my name from now on?" Huh? That's a strange request.

"All right, Adele." I replied, only to be greeted by silence from Adele as the group walked out of the classroom, her friends giggling at what just happened.

As I walked out the classroom, chatter and laughter so loud it filled the hall forced me to turn and look. Johann, Gina and a few other girls walked by, their steps leading them towards the gates. "Hey, I was so surprised when you talked to that loser, Gina, what was his name, Amati? Amoto?" One of the sentences shot into my ears.

"Uh.. ahahaha.. yeah.." Gina replied, looking down as the words came out. My heart sank as I heard those words. Looking down, I decided to just brush it off.

A few minutes later, I find myself already standing in the hall. The wide space was a big area of orange and brown, the color which the wooden floor and stage was painted. Light, soft and faint, was shining in from the opened doors at the sides. All over the floor, there were scraps of paper and streamers, apparently from the Culture Festival. Times like this made me wonder what the janitors do when the Student Council has to clean this mess up. "Well, better start cleaning..." I told myself as I shuffled through what seemed like a sea of brightly colored rubbish, making my way to the supply closet for a broom and a dustpan.

"Sweep, sweep." As the sound of my sweeping broke the silence of the empty hall, I find myself wondering why I decided to help. Maybe it was because I feel partly, if not, fully responsible for what happened, perhap? Or maybe I just wanted Adele to enjoy herself? I don't anything better to do if I went home anyways. It used to be training right after I went home, but now that it's complete, I find myself having a lot of free time in my hands between missions. As I dumped the trash into the rubbish bin, I looked at myself handling the broom. It's not that bad, considering I never did this before, Kiera always insists she's the one to do it. I just know you need to be thorough when cleaning. I also wonder why I don't use my awakening to speed things up, it seemed like a good idea. "Well, I guess I like doing things by myself if I can manage it.." I smiled as I held the Tear of the Fang up, sunlight shining through it's translucent body.

After a few minutes though, I began regretting my words a little. Thirty minutes had passed, yet I haven't even cleaned up a fourth of the hall. Looking around, the hall feels a whole lot bigger than I remembered.

"You need any help, Boss?" A voice I haven't heard for a while now broke my chain of thoughts, and yet, I immediately recognize it. Turning around, her golden ponytail swished as the wind blew, her blue eyes as bright as ever. She's wearing the same black suit she always wears. She sits at the edge of the stage, looking really serene.

"Sera? What are you doing here?" I wondered. At the thought, Sera was already walking over to the supply closet for another pair of broom and dustpan.

"My patrol today covers this area. I'm surprised as well when I saw you still in school, Amato." Sera answered my question while already moving, cleaning at a speed that puts my previous attempt to shame.

"All right, I won't lose to that!" I exclaimed as I returned to cleaning. Sera's presence has motivated me enough to continue.

After a few more minutes, we completed the cleaning, much to my surprise. Though it was only some tidying up, the area of the hall itself was not that small. I think Sera cleaned way more than I ever did. "Sera? Thanks for all your help today." I called out as I wiped the dust off my hands, before taking a seat next to her on the stage.

"Don't worry, Boss. I'm always happy to help." Sera said so with a smile, her eyes calm and gentle like always. For a few moments, we just sat there together, without saying a word. "Eh? Um.." Sera began flustering, as if she realized something. Her cheeks began flushing red as she gets overwhelmed by emotions. "I should.. really get back to my patrol, Boss." Her tone returned to her formal one as she hopped to her feet.

"Don't worry!" I replied as I looked up to the ceiling, smiling, the wind blowing hard through my hair from the doors. "I'll explain to them, you can say you were protecting me, right?" I exclaimed as I fall on my back, lying down with my arms thrown wide open from the work just now. I think I caught a glance of Sera's smile as my eyelids droop down to a close.

...

...

"All right, wake up!" I was suddenly woken up as a powerful grip pulled me up. At first, I thought it was just Sera, but as I opened my eyes, I saw Sera looking surprised, my vision shifting away from her. The next thing I realized was that I moving towards the exit and whoever who was pulling me had a powerful grip. "Yo, Zanna!" I could say I feel happy to hear that voice, but that, would be lying. I finally looked and saw Johann's beaming face, complete with a wide grin, as he dragged me to the door.

"He-hey, what do you think you're doing?" I cried out in surprise as he kept on pulling, which was a surprise as well, considering I had my true strength kicked in.

"Amato!" I could hear Sera's voice, as well as her footsteps in-between my struggles.

Soon, the yellow rays of the afternoon sun was faintly shining in my face. The chill of the autumn wind shook me wide awake. "...Sorry about what I said before... Amato.." Gina apologised as Johann dragged me to her, whom was standing by the gates. As the memory of what I heard came back, trying to surface into my thoughts, I pushed them aside. I guess I always try my best not to remember such things.

"Just.. Tell me why you just dragged me off like that!" I asked, my tone of voice slightly annoyed.

So, Johann explained to me the gist of things. "Post Mid-terms celebrations? And you want me to come, that's why you searched the school, looking for me?" I asked to confirm what he just said.

"Yeah, it took a while to shake those girls off." Johann continued. He must be referring to the group of girls they were with earlier. "Good thing you stayed back as well." Johann gave out his thoughts, already walking towards the gates. I don't get it, wouldn't it be better for them to go by themselves if they wanted to celebrate? Ah well, I'm not gonna push away a chance to hang out with Gina.

"Sigh, all right." I gave them my answer with as much spirit as I could muster, which wasn't much considering Johann's presence.

As we walked on, past the gates, I realized something. Sera wasn't following us, standing in a corner, looking away as if trying not to disturb us. I walked towards her when I saw her face, which was one of confusion and reluctance. "C'mon, you're coming as well. My orders." I told her, pulling her left arm with a smile.

"Eh?" Though she looked surprised, I was certain I saw a hint of joy as we met up with Johann and Gina. Together, we walked past the gates and towards the districts.

* * *

**Oh man, maybe I dragged on a bit too long in this chapter. Well, I hope it's an interesting read nonetheless. What will happen as the group goes into the city? Can Amato keep a smile on his face in front of Johann? Keep your eyes peeled for the next chapter to find out!**


	32. An Unexpected Good Time

**Author's Note:**

**Interaction with characters, developments of personality, establishing a focal point. Man, there is a lot of things needed for a good character. At times I wonder if people look at my characters the way I wanted them to be...**

**Chapter 31: An Unexpectedly Good Time**

* * *

The street, the district, was calm and quiet. Few footsteps can be heard, but it was still more than I expected. The four of us walked down the street, looking around as we make our way to various locales of the particular district. I, myself, walked with my two palms placed over the back of my neck, curious at what we're gonna do, and even more so, what my reactions will be. Kiera went on with a bounce to her steps, looking as cheerful as ever. For some strange reason, Johann had that bulky item, wrapped in grey cloth, on his back today as well. Sera walked a good few steps behind us, constantly looking down at the ground as we walked.

The day felt slow, relaxed. The only voice I heard was Johann and Gina's. From the words, they must have chatted up a storm. I wasn't listening, though. My eyes were constantly shifting to Sera. She has the same calm look in her eyes, but somehow, it felt like something was bothering her.

Does she felt out of place? Does she feel left out as we walked? She is technically still a stranger to Gina and Johann. The questions kept popping up in my mind, but I do my best to follow what was happening.

Still, it's a bit too painful to see her like this. Well, it's up to me to fix it. "Zanna! Zanna, you listening?" Suddenly, Johann's voice cut into my thoughts. Oops.

"Uh.. yeah. Something about.. things to do, right?" I mumbled out my words. I think my tone made it obvious that I didn't actually hear any of the things he said. I put on an apologetic look, scratching the back of my head with my right hand. "Hold on." I stopped Johann as I walked towards Sera and brought her to the front. "Eh?" I heard Sera's voiced squeak out as I pulled her by the shoulders. "Something's been bugging me, I.. haven't introduce my friend yet." I told the Johann and Gina.

By this time, our steps stopped beside a hotdog cart, the piping hot smell of delicious hotdogs drifted around us. As she stood, I saw Sera shift her eyes away everytime she takes a look at Johann or Gina. I never knew she was so shy before. "Her name is Serafina Walter.." I began speaking after realizing Sera's probably not gonna say anything. "She's a close friend." I gave out with a smile, still surpised over Sera's actions. After I spoke, there was, strangely, a few seconds of silence, as Gina and Johann said nothing to reply. Johann looked intrigued while Gina furrowed her brow for a second, her smile going away with it.

* * *

"I was just asking, any suggestion on what to do today?" Johann's voice came in-between his bites, as he sinked his teeth into a hotdog. Fortunately, the wind isn't blowing much today, so it isn't as cold as I imagined.

"You invited me to celebrate, and you have no idea where to go?" This time it was my turn to ask, taking my first bite into my plain, sauceless hotdog. Hey, I prefer it this way. Johann only gave me a blank look as I chewed. Gina? After what I said, she dragged Sera off somewhere before coming back with the smile on her face. Surprisingly, they hit it off and is now inside one of these shops nearby. Sera looked... relieved, as she was pulled along by Gina.

"We're back!" Gina bounces into our sights, her voice suggesting she's back in her cheerful mood. As soon as my eyes saw her, they were instantly drawn to the three bags she was holding in her hands, which blew my eyes wide open. She bought all those stuff in just that small span of time? "Uh, is there something wrong?" I hear Gina asking, as she walked up to me, staring at my face with her own curious look.

"Oh, it's nothing..." I replied, forcing my eyes to look away. Note to self, always bring more money than initially planned, when hanging out with girls. "Oh right, we got them for you guys too!" I say so with a smile, handing Gina and Sera a box of hotdog each.

"Thanks!" They both gave out with a smile, accepting the hotdog without a second delay, which was surprising. I always thought girls wouldn't enjoy a hotdog like a guy would, biting down with sauce all over. Or maybe I was just being a bit too stereotypical.

As a gale of wind blew through my hair, I realized that we have been standing around for quite a while now. At this rate, it'll be the end of the day before we know it. "All right guys, we need to go..." I called out, pushing them forward with my arms on their backs. The sudden action must have been quite the surprise, as they moved with a confused look on their face. "Don't worry, I got a pretty good idea where to go..." I told them assuredly, my eyes looking towards the gentle sky.

* * *

The scene opens as the girl walked into the room. She looked tired, restless. Bags are formed under her eyes. The room filled with a splash of grey. The door creaked as she closed it, slowly crying out. As she did, the light in the room dimmed. It was as if light itself wanted nothing to do with the room. She dragged her feet as she make her way to the windows, looking listless, troubled. The mirror seemed to reflect her bad complexion, a shadow staring back at her. Pushing the curtains aside, the girl was shocked to find it smudged in a layer of dark, disturbing substance. Slips of newspaper blocks what clean areas it had.

Suddenly, the image in the mirror turned, spite in its eyes, towards the girl.

I sat there in my seat, my head tilted, eyes looking bored as I watched the movie. That's right, the first thing on my mind was for us to go watch a movie. I thought it was a great way to relax, to put the idea of reality behind and just enjoy a story that was written. The dark cinema room would serve as a doorway into another world as the light on the movie starts flashing. Wow, I feel old.

Unfortunately, though. It seems I was wrong. In fact, I felt more in touch with reality than ever.

"Uh..." I could hear soft voices murmuring from my two sides. Gina clutched my right arm with both her hands, shivering, whether it was in anticipation or fear, with her eyes wide open as she watched the movie. On my left, Sera pressed her head against my shoulders, pulling my left arm to cover her eyes and only turning to look once in a while, shivering in her seat as well. I feel like they're using me as a meatshield, their hands tugging me from side to side.

And, even as everything was happening, I felt really annoyed as I was pelted by a rain of popcorn. For whatever reason, Johann got the seat right behind me. He too, was shivering. I knew when I heard his teetch chattering. The extra-large bucket of popcorn he got in his hands only served to propel the many pieces of popcorn onto my head as he trembled.

"Hey, keep the popcorn in the bucket!" I tried to reprimand Johann with a soft, whispering tone. I didn't want to ruin the movie for everyone, you know? Of course, that never helped anything. As I watched, I wasn't afraid, at all. After seeing those things during Halloween, whatever creatures they put on the screen feels hollow and fake.

As I sat in the holy triangle of trouble, I feel like a baby-sitter looking after children. At least it wouldn't get any worse, I thought.

That was when the girls screamed.

* * *

We were pretty hungry after the movie, so we decided to have lunch. This time I led them to a restuarant that I heard is a hotspot for teens because of it's design and location. It's one of the few restuarant that's very close to our school. As we took a seat, I find myself picking off the pieces of popcorn from my hair. Still, I guess it wasn't that bad. Which guy can say they didn't like being hugged by two girls? None I knew, at least. Johann's presence wasn't that bad either, though I can probably say I was surprised to see him afraid. I gave out a sigh but said nothing otherwise.

For some reason, the three of them enjoyed the movie a lot, Sera and Gina chatted up about it as soon as we left the cinema. The words flew by so fast I couldn't keep up.

"I wonder how hot this is...?"Johann asks out, bringing his face close to the grill. You see, the restuarant I brought us to is a special one. I think it's Korean barbecue. A unique experience eating there because the barbecue is done all by ourselves. We sat by each side around a square table, and in the middle is a silver, sizzling surface. Go close enough, and I can even feel the heatwave as it floated and brushed my face.

"Siz.." A soft sound gave out, similar to that of meat cooking on the grill.

"Ouch!" Johann roars out, as he jumps to his feet before collapsing back on his seat. He has one of his fingers in his mouth, sucking it as if it was the most delicious thing in the world. You see, curious as he was, Johann stuck out his right index finger to test how hot the grill was.

"You okay?" I heard cries of concern from Gina and Sera as they saw what happened. As I saw how he assures them that it was nothing, only one thing was going through my mind. What is he, ten? Of course, I didn't say anything but, it just looks really stupid if you saw the whole thing happen like I did. As we waited for our order, I find my eyes looking around the place, as well as out the window. The restuarant was one of soft, dark colors with a hint of brightness here and there, the style was cool and chic. Looking out the window, I could see the sea, the waves crashing to the stone ledges. You know, it's strange, despite the constant sound of water, the currents and the waves, sometimes I can forget that I'm living in a canal city.

"All right, kids, here's your order!" A cheerful waitress came up to us with her two hands carrying a tray full of meat and vegetables. It was, alarming, to see the mountain of food, and even more surprising to find out it was ours. "You guys must be really growing up!" The waitress exclaimed with a smile. The food as well as the comment made the two girls with us fluster.

"There must be some mistake..." I gave out almost automatically, my eyes still wide at the sight. Well, I'm actually more concerned for another reason. By reflex, I find myself taking out my wallet, and checking the contents inside. It's because of something I said when we entered the restuarant.

... I said it'll be my treat today.

"Nope. Everything's good. Enjoy!" The waitress walked away after her cheerful words, disappearing behind a door to the kitchen. I sat there, paralysed from what just happened. I just kept on staring at the waitress as she went through the door. I think Gina must have noticed, as she started looking annoyed.

"Amato, you okay?" She tried to sound concerned but I could hear the hissing in between her words, like she was upset or something.

A few moments later, the three of us just sat there surprised, food only slowly coming to our mouths as we watched what was happening. Johann grills the food about as fast as he chomps them down. His chopsticks moved so quickly it looked like the food teleported from the plate and onto the grill, then to his mouth. "Oh, this is good!" He pointed out in-between his bites. I can't believe he could still talk while eating that fast. He almost seems desperate.

Oh darn, the food's finishing already! "C'mon, it'll be gone before we know it!" I kinda shout out to the girls before quickening my pace as I ate.

Right at another table, another incident was also happening, though I was a bit distracted to see what was exactly going on. A few table away away, all I could see was a rather tall fellow with spiky, blond hair. His movements seems erratic, or maybe it just looked strange from my angle. I could hear the tapping of his chopsticks all the way from my seat. And I could've sworn I saw a piece of meat flew from his grasp. Correction, make that pieces. I must admit it made me curious, but I brushed it off as nothing. It's none of my business.

* * *

The sights of the city scrolled by like a screen of moving pictures, slow with a gentle touch. The yellow glow of the afternoon sun pushed it's way through the crevices in-between each of the tall buildings, refracting as it touched the waters. As I watched on, I could feel the wading motion of the gondola as I admired the scenery of Venice, the city in its grand beauty. The waves that was once crashing against the canals were now calm and peaceful, almost welcoming us for the ride.

"Ugh..." A voice came out, and with it I felt myself pulled back, like waking from a dream. Johann sat there, curled up like an armidillo. He cried out when I gave the suggestion for the ride, this must be what he was referring to.

"You all right? Seasick?" I asked, taking a seat beside him and trying my best to support him from falling. Sera and Gina looked just as worried in their seats. Johann only nodded his reply.

"I'm fine, don't worry..." Clearly he looked sick, but he was still trying his best to take the worry off of us. I.. can't help but feel respect for the guy. Suddenly, his eyes went wide and glowed with admiration. "Wow, that is one awesome looking mansion!" He cried out, his fingers pointing at the crystal white palace his eyes were glued to. As soon as I looked to the direction, I went quiet. Sera and Gina did the same.

As we went under a bridge in the canal, I got a very strange compulsion to look up. Maybe it was instinct? As I did, I saw the same guy from the restuarant, leaning over us, his eyes calm and staring at me. He had a smile on his face. Maybe I was wrong, maybe he was just looking at something else, but something I was feeling tells me otherwise. That thought however, was rectified as soon as he tried to take a step to his left, trying to get a closer look. As soon as he did, I saw him slipped backwards, in an almost comical fashion, with a banana peel flying soon after.

"Why'd you all gone quiet?" Johann's voice turned my attention back.

"That's Amato's mansion..." Gina gave out her reply before I could do anything. I would've prefered him not knowing. The less people, the better.

"Really?" Johann cried out once more, the tone almost a yell. He was looking really excited. As the ride slowly took us to a stop, we got off the boat feeling satisfied, or at least I did. "We need to have a sleepover at your mansion sometime, Zanna!" Johann suddenly burst out, the words coming out of nowhere.

"Uh... I guess.." I gave a strangely vague response. I don't know, sleepover sounds strange, I mean, for a guy. And it feels awkwards when another guy asks for it. With strange emotion and smiles on our faces, we left the canals with footsteps tapping.

* * *

**Whoa! This ended late. I'm sorry! On another note, it was so long since I wrote something normal, so this took a really long time to think up. I hope you guys enjoy the story and find out new things about Amato and the others! On yet another note, did you guys catch the cameo?**


	33. Knight And The Horse

**Author's Note:**

**I'm feeling really excited! It's just a few more chapters till the next phase of the story! Where Tsuna and his friends find themselves facing greater challenges, so will the Zanna Famiglia! Keep a lookout for surprises you never expect!**

* * *

**Chapter 32: Knight And The Horse.**

Light faded in and out, going from bright to dimmed in a matter of moments as I sat on the bench in the park. I didn't have anything that tells time, but I guess it was around four o'clock. One could see the orange tint just barely diluting the yellow rays of the afternoon sun. The air was just in the right amount of chill, giving off a really relaxing atmoshpere as the cool air slowly shifted. I wasn't alone however. Gina's gone home, and I've sent Sera back to her patrols, but for some strange reason, Johann asked me to go to the park with him. While I sat there, reflecting on this rather unusual yet enjoyable day, Johann stood a few feet beside me, leaning by a lamppost.

I guess today's been... fun. Thinking back, I can't help but smile at what happened, even if it wasn't the most easiest get-together ever, not that I go out much. Maybe I should.. thank Johann? It's the polite thing to do, I guess. As I ran my fingers across the carved wooden seat of the bench, I slowly turn my eyes to Johann. Strangely, he has been unusually quiet, and he has a serious look in his eyes.

As Johann continued to check his watch and phone, as well as the surroundings, I decided to start talking.

"Johann.. I.. uh.." I muttered, stammering at my words. It felt very, very awkward. Johann's eyebrows continue to remain furrowed, and he looked to be in a great deal of concentration.

"No time, Zanna Decimo. I need you to stay alert here." He said out, his tone stern and demanding. It reminded me of a military officer. Wait, did he just call me Decimo? At the wonder, I was already up on my feet, my body slowly walking towards him automatically. Confused as I was, I thought maybe I just heard wrong and returned to my previous train of thought.

"I ... uh.. just want to thank yo-" I muttered out once more. However, same as before, I find myself getting interrupted, his words cutting right in.

"Focus! They're almost here." He declared once more. The wind shift his hair as he stared right into my eyes. His shaggy, golden strands of hair seems to really shine as the sunlight glowed from his back. His eyes glow with a strength unlike anything I've seen before. A random thought flashed across my mind at that moment. He looks really cool. In a swift motion, he pulls off the gray cloth wrapped around the item on his back, and threw it to the ground. In fast, powerful movements, he unsheathed the item and held it in front of me.

It was a sword. A longsword, the most... beautiful sword I've ever laid my eyes upon. Glazed white flushed over its hilt, the handle looking like jewelry. A sparkling, almost majestic silver blade extends from the hilt, reaching the length of about one and a half meters. Obtuse, black metal pieces snakes around the blade, covering and surrounding the silver like predators, giving them a cold feel just by looking at it. I don't know if I was surprised, or in awe, but I find myself unable to move, my eyes wide as I stared.

Wait, is it me, or is this sword moving? It is! Slowly, but at an alarmingly increasing speed, I watched as the ridges vibrate and before I knew it a deep, crimson red enveloped what was once a deep, cold black. I could feel heat emanating from the sword. In that instance, Johann suddenly thrusts the sword into the right, breaking and digging straight into the stone-path. "Crack! Crush!" The sounds came blended together as the action lasted but a second.

"Whoa!" I cried out, feeling entering my body again. Scrambling back, I lost my balance and fell straight on my bottom. I could even feel the dust settling after being blown up top from the impact.

"Argh, now's not the time..." I could hear Johann mutter those words to himself under his breath. Releasing his blade and leaving it embedded into the ground, he walks to its side. Leaving his right hand on the edge of the hilt, he stood with strength and vigil. "I am Johann Jacopo. Knight of the Order. The Order of Lazarus!" His words was filled with a degree of power, pride and will. I was surprised. He felt like a completely different person. Knight? What, as in a knight in shining armor? From the Middle Ages?

"Zanna! Decimo!" As if I needed more confusion, another voice, a stranger, called out to me. I find myself turning in the direction of voice.

"Whoosh!" Out of the bushes, a whip appeared out of nowhere. I was dumbstruck. Was it an enemy? An ally? I was just too confused, but nonetheless, I was reaching for Fenris. As I was just about to get my grip on my Legacy Arm, however, the whip closed in on me, cutting through the air, hissing like a snake. "Snap!"

"Ow!" The pain spiked from my face, as the whip just strike me square between the eyes. Moving my hand to instinctively try to make it go away, I tumble, twist and turn on the ground, on my back from the pain. Johann stood alert, looking like he's ready to pull his sword up to meet with this unknown threat. It took me a while to recover, but as I did, I saw the whip lash back towards where it came from, zipping through the air and rustling the green bush, detaching some of the leaves from their branches.

In a few moment, after hearing a few gasps, taunts and yells that was hardly audible coming from the bushes, Johann and I just stuck there staring, in anticipation to what was gonna happen. I was still lying there on the ground after I calmed down, while Johann stood right at the same spot, his eyes showing caution and curiosity. Strangely, the two of us turn and looked at each other once before turning our sights at the bush again. At first, there was silence, then struggling. "Stop! What, you're, doing!" The voice came with stuttering words. Then, the person appeared. Wrapped tightly with the same whip that struck me, the man hopped out of the green foliage, his legs tied by the whip. Seeing as how his right hand is holding on to the stock, or the handle, I'm assuming he's the one who struck me. "Argh, darn whip!" He cried out once more.

As painful as that strike to my face was, the sight of him, pathetically stuck, tied by his own weapon, was more painful to look at. Naturally, Johann and I moved to help him out.

"Ahahaha.." The blond man gave out a really awkward laugh. Up close, he looked really suave and handsome with long, yet stylish looking blond hair, spiked at the ends, as well as having sharp looking eyes with deep brown hues. He was wearing pretty fashionably, too, with a nice looking long jacket and jeans, ending with sleek looking leather shoes. Packing his whip and cleaning the dust off his jacket, he stands and gives out his hand to me. "So sorry about that. It is definitely a pleasure to finally meet you, Zanna Decimo." He gave out his words with a soft, gentle smile.

"Um.. Hi?" I say out with uncertainty, taking his hand and responding with a formal handshake. Something was flooding my mind with unease, or maybe it's just a feeling. I feel like I've seen him before. "You're the guy from the restaurant, and the bridge!" I cried out as I came into realization. Johann just looked on with even more curiosity.

"Ah, sharp." The man commented. "I think it's about time I introduced myself. My name is Dino, Dino Chiavarone. Boss of the Chiavarone Famiglia." He casually gave out, with a smile and a wave of his hand.

"Eh?" perhaps I was worn out from what just happened, but I actually took a few seconds to digest what I just heard. "Boss?" I yell out, unable to keep my voice down. I supposed I was fortunate that we were the only ones in the park. "Chiavarone Famiglia? You're Bucking Bronco Dino!" I continued my yelling. I can't believe I didn't recognize him sooner. Dino just looked as if he's used to this sort of treatment and calmed me down.

Dino continued, telling me how the news of an underdog among the Famiglias rising in power is circulating around Italy. Taking an interest, he came to Venice to meet me and my Famiglia before going to Japan, to meet the Vongola Decimo. As Dino explained himself in a almost frighteningly calm manner, smiles and all. Johann kept pacing around. He, on the other hand, was anything but calm. Perhaps he was expecting someone, as Dino's presence seemed to make him more anxious. He would move around, or tap on the ground with his feet. Of course, he never ventures too far from his sword.

"The Boss of the Chiavarone Famiglia... This complicates things.." I barely caught what he said, but those little words was enough to catch my attention. "Will this affect the Exchange?" That was the one question he kept asking himself.

"Um, Boss Chiavarone? I just have one question, why'd ya hit me just now?" I asked, only to be replied with Dino's hesitant look. Yeah, and it wasn't something like a wake-up slap either, it really hurt!

"Dino Chiavarone, the Boss of the Chiavarone Famiglia, is a klutz without any of his Famiglia nearby." Johann suddenly stepped into our conversation, sounding knowledgeable. Dino just looked down, as if trying to hide his face. Haha, he seems really cool, for an adult.

Suddenly, a dark, grayish fog flowed into the park. A sense of chill, loneliness, despair fills the surrounding. The leaves of the trees and bushes seems to howl and whistles according to the change, the wind and gales blowing hard and strong. It was so strong I feel as though my jacket would get blown off if I didn't held on to it with all my might. As I looked, the very area we stood upon seems to twist and melt, it feels like the very reality is shifting, distorting, crying in pain. I could feel my heart beating faster with each second, as my instincts kept screaming out danger. I feel myself stretching out my hand to the sides and bending my knees, as if trying to hold my balance from the breaking world. Turning my eyes, I could see Dino and Johann doing the same.

"Wha-what's happening?" I cried out, confused and getting disoriented. The wind seemed to be blowing harder and harder.

"They're here..." Johann say out, trying to sound as calm as possible. Even with his constrained tone, I could feel the fear and anxiousness in his voice, as well as on his face. He kept his right hand clutched around the hilt of his blade. Dino said nothing, but his smile is gone.

In the midst of the breaking reality, that which I don't know if it was really happening, or maybe I just don't want to believe it, a lump of shadowy flames, similar to those of the fog, started forming. "Shh. Shh. Shh." A soft, soul-wrenching sound emanated from the core. In an instant, three figures appeared in the center. Cloaked in dark robes and shadowy hats, the figures stood, life-less. As I saw them, I felt a sharp shiver went down my spine. Their face was blank, no features, only a sea of white linen. Or at least, I think it's linen.

"Vindicare..." Dino finally spoke out after so long, the words shaking both me and Johann. I almost jumped up from where I was standing. The word sparked a memory from the depths of my mind.

"_Vindice? Who are they?" I asked out as I looked at the picture. It was barely a picture, all I could see was three white spots that looked like bandages surrounded by different hues of grayish fog._

"_They... are the law of the Mafia. Wardens to the Vindicare Prison, they judge those which cannot be forgiven, and punish those which cannot be forgotten. They are the shadows of justice, enforcing it with an iron fist." Even as Kiera explains, I can feel reluctance in her voice, like she was wary, maybe even afraid. _

"_Never, ever defy them. Their word is law."_

"Gulp." That was a picture of them! I thought there was a printing error! "Vindice..." I mutter to myself, I could feel goosebumps forming around my body. I brushed it off as just a warning, but now I understand what Kiera was really trying to tell me. Only one question remains, constantly shouting in my mind...

Just... what are they doing here?

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**Oh boy, what's gonna happen now? Was it a surprise? Was it unexpected? The law of the Mafia has stepped into the story, and Amato is about to get dragged into it. Get ready for some crazy stuff in the upcoming chapters!**


	34. The Exchange

**Author's Note:**

**Oh boy am I excited, it felt like it's been a long while since the story started, though past this point was the real Reborn! Fanfic that I wanted to protray, my characters meeting with other Reborn! Characters and stuff happening. Do not fret, this just means more story for you guys!**

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**Chapter 33: The Exchange.**

**Knight Of Exile.**

I find myself standing there, unable to speak. Probably because of the Vindicare's overwhelming presence. My annoying blond hair keeps scratching my eyes, which was strange by itself, considering how short my fringe is. Sound seems to fade in an out, silence constantly pushing its way into my hearing. Eyes shifting, I see my sword firmly planted into the ground. A sign of peace really, I have released my hands from the weapon. Still, I could not help but sweat bullets in their presence. The Vindice is terrifying indeed. Amato as well as the Bucking Bronco stands by my side, the looks on their face says that they are paralysed from the appearance of the Vindice. Maybe I should've told them.

Then, the Vindice approached, shadows, smoke and gas shifting towards them as if yearning for their touch. Oh crap, oh crap, they really feel like the boogeyman coming after me. "W-what are they doing?" I could hear Amato gasping out, probably still cautious of the Vindice.

"Focus, I'll explain later." I hope. I need to think of a proper explanation. I could even feel my voice breaking up. "I just need you to be ready for anything, but leave the talking to me." I continued. As expected of them being Bosses, their eyes sharpened with clarity, and they nodded in agreement. As those words were being said, images and voices flooded my mind, reminding of what I was supposed to do.

"_What? You want Johann to go? Why, Knight-commander Adolfo?" A familiar voice cried out in protest. The girl with ginger hair and sparkling hazel eyes looked upset, even to the point of crying._

"_Hush, Reina." I assured her, placing my hand on her shoulder. "It's just a simple exchange, right?" I asked, trying my best to push away any suspicious thoughts._

"_But, you'll need to leave Rome!" She rebutted, turning from the Knight-commander to me. "You'll be meeting up with the law of the Mafia, you're gonna get killed!" Reina cries out, tears already falling._

"_Deliver the tome. Don't question anything." Adolfo speak out sternly, calm and strict in his tone. His face though, looked reluctant, almost like he never agreed to this. I've known Adolfo for a few years now, he would always follow orders, even if some of them is... questionable. Does this mean this is one of the few orders he's against? Is something gonna happen to me? Even as he handed me the tome, his hands, his fingers would tremble slightly, like he was unsure of his action. Nevertheless, this is for the order._

"_Don't worry, Reina. I'll be back as soon as it's done." I answered, accepting my role, receiving the tome. "I give you my word."_

Darn, this silence is painful, gotta say something, anything. "I have your tome right here. I assume you guys are here for the exchange?" I gave out as my eyes followed the Vindices' every move. Somehow they looked suspicious. They look like construct, machines hidden behind a veil of white bandages. The fog, or flame, or whatever they brought with them blurred everything around them, I can't even see the trees clearly anymore! Reaching into my slingbag, I searched until I touched it. It's distinguishable cold touch instantly told me its the tome. Taking it out, I could see a black, leather cover, thick with yellowish pages, giving off a sense of age. The tome itself is thick, with it's neck about the size of my palm. As I shift my eyes from the book to the Vindice, I could feel that they were looking at Amato and Dino.

"What is the meaning of this?" A low, deep tone, almost mechanical, resounded from the pale, empty visage, I assumed they meant the two bosses I brought with me to the exchange. "They have no place here!" The voice bellowed, almost like a roar, spreading out everywhere. I can't actually tell which one of the three was speaking, but the words made Amato and Dino take a step back.

"Don't mind them, they're just insurance." I replied snarkly. Afterall, the fact that they are worried about such things only meant my suspicions was right. Feeling rightly bolder, I took a step forward, offering out the tome. The Vindice said nothing, and only continued their approach, getting closer with each second. They look like they came straight outta that horror movie we juist saw earlier, the background distorting slightly as they 'floated'. As I continued my steps towards them, each second felt like an eternity. Even as I walked, the information regarding this exchange would burst in and out of my mind.

I did not know what the tome was, or what was written in it. What I do know is that this exchange has got something to do with the Order. Something about the safety of the Knights of Lazarus as long as this deal is fulfilled. According to history, this promise has been going on for four generations now. I don't care, if this is a way to protect my fellow Knights, I have no qualm of being the one to do it.

I guess I should've paid more attention to what was happening, particularly with Amato. As I took another step closer to fulfill the exchange, I felt a tug at my wrist. I turn my head to see Amato, looking really worried, trying to hold me back. "H-hey, stop it!" The words came out on their own, and as the force pulled me, strength stronger than anything I felt before, the tome on my hand slipped from my grasp, and fell to the ground, pages wide opened.

I couldn't believe my eyes.

I could see, and as if hit by enlightenment, knew everything that was going on. Why Adolfo looked reluctant, why Reina was so sad. Did they know? I couldn't tell. On the pages was techniques, fighting styles, those passed down from generation to generation within our order. Everything from how to use them to how to counter them, everything was written there in clear, clinical detail. I was confused, and all actions around me stopped, even the Vindice seemed to freeze in their steps. I was standing there, feeling nauseous from the mass of information pushing its way into my brain. Then, as if fate wanted me to know more, a gust of wind turned the pages.

"T-that's!" I couldn't finish my words before getting silenced my my screaming thoughts. What the hell is going on here? That's the Oathstone! Every information regarding it, it's location, abilities, powers, everything's clearly written down in great detail! That information is supposed to belong to the Knights, and is all but ours alone!

"The Exchange will continue!" It took me a while to realize it was the Vindice that gave the declaration. It felt as though they were desperate now, flying their way towards the tome, as if a secret was blown wide open. Ghastly, shriveled hand reached out to grab the tome from the floor, only to have it snatched away from mine. "Fool! What are you doing?" The mellow, mechanical voice boomed forth like a speaker.

I only took a step back, looking really freaked out and worried. Oh crap! Crap! What am I doing? My body just moved on its own! "Hey, you okay?" Amato's voice helped me focus my thoughts. He put his hand on my shoulder, and I could feel his strong hands and gentle touch. It was a welcome. Maybe I really should've briefed them on it first.

"Know your place, Knight!" The Vindice roared out, the flames seemingly growing more menacing in accordance to the situation. I was confused, but my legs were already taking me back to my sword. I can't do this, I can't betray the Order like this. Why would the law of the Mafia want with this information anyway? Nothing makes sense! "Do not dishonor the deal!" Another roar booms across the surroundings, shaking everything. Leaves seems to fall from nowhere, everywhere around us. Everything was going crazy, definitely not the way I was expecting the Exchange to go.

Suddenly, chains started flying forth from the flames, the shadows. Scrambling to my feet, I reached for my sword. Grabbing it with my right hand, I pulled it up, breaking earth once more, with little to no effort at all. "You would raise arm against us?" One of them Vindice roared out once more, giving their warning. Silver, ornate chains, covered with shadowy flames, burst forth, in an attempt to pull my weapon away. Jumping back, it clutched it's cold surface around my legs instead, my body crashing onto the stone-floor. It felt so desperate, so scary.

"Fenris!"

The call was so full of power, of strength, that it sparked off a sense of hope within me. A burst of bright light ad a wave of force later, Amato jumped in front of me with primal fervor, and tore off the chains from my legs, breaking them with his bare hands. I could say I was really surprised. More chains snaked forth, shadows, smoke and gas roaring and hissing, coming after me, only to be pulled and thrown away by a single whip. The elegant and precise movement of the whip was something else, completely different from what I just saw Dino do a few moments ago. Feeling an arm grabbed me and pulled me up to my feet, I was pulled into the flow of events.

"Romario!" Dino cried out as the two bosses jumped in front of me, heroically. The man, with short, spiky black hair and glasses, nods at Dino's words, as if understanding what he wanted. Yes, he's the one, the Bucking Bronco's right-hand. With him here, Dino's capability is said to greatly increase. I watched as the two bosses stand, trying their best to protect me. Of course, I can't say I liked being the 'Damsel' in this situation. Pushing Romario away, I walked forward, pointing out my sword.

"Dyrnwyn!" I yelled out to invoke its full power.

In a matter of seconds, energy and power seems to flow into my sword, signaling the start of the process. The entire surrounding howled and cheered, as if approving my actions. The Oathstone must've heard my feelings. If one looked clearly, swirling, magical energy, barely visible, can be seen focusing around my sword. I could feel the trees swaying and leaves flying in accordance to what was happening, but I only stood there with a smirk on my face. The cold, black metal pieces began vibrating once more, and in a matter of seconds, my sword burst into flames. Amato, the Bucking Bronco and even the Vindice stopped and stare at what was happening. Crap, I guess conflict was inevitable. I can't hand over the tome now!

As the three of us stood, ready for combat, I yell out the signal."You want this? Come and get it! I will not betray my Order like this!" It's three on three. I just hope our combined strength is enough to hold them off!

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**The end of this chapter. I'm sorry this came a bit later than I planned. I guess I had trouble thinking up a situation without the Vindice instantly winning, and I also had to give a good reason why Johann would do what he did. All this will lead to a conclusion I hope you guys would be happy about! Keeps your eyes out for the next chapter!**


	35. Exiled

**Author's Note:**

**Okay, how am I gonna portray a fight between Amato and the Vindice? To tell the truth, I have no idea. Let's see where 'winging' it will take me, shall we? Oh, about the getting closer to the main story stuff, it'll probably be a few chapters after this arc, sorry for any confusion!**

* * *

**Chapter 34: Exiled.**

The shadowy fog had engulfed a good portion of the park. The flames and chains shot out in every direction, cold to the touch, yet they burn everything around them. The wind howled as everything was happening, trees swaying wildy. The leaves fly and swirl so fast as if nature itself was angry. I was alert, driven by surprises after suprises. Like how Johann is moving and fighting with speed and fervor much faster than I am, or how the Bucking Bronco suddenly appeared just to come see me, or even how I'm trading blows with the Vindice right now.

"Sish!" The chains hissed and the flames sizzled as it flew towards me at great speed, a sharpened spike at its head. In a moment of reflex, I did a reverse somersault, kicking the chain off its trajectory. Another set of chains shot out at me immediately after, but this time, I was ready. Grabbing it after dodging, I pulled the Vindice towards me. At the touch of the chain, extreme cold instantly went across my body from my arm, as if I just grabbed onto huge chunk of ice.

"Yarrggghhh!" I screamed out, whether it was from feral instinct or fear, pulling the chain and the Vindicare member right off his feet, and straight towards me. Ba-bump. Ba-bump. Slowly, I could hear my heartbeat getting louder. With enhanced vision, I watched as the mummified Vindice flew right in front of me, and I threw a spinning hook kick right as he came into range. I think I could feel his neck cracking as my foot dug into it, as I brought it across with great velocity, even if it all happened in a few seconds.

The Vindice member flew, scrambling across the air, not a making a single sound. It felt like I just struck against an object, it was creepy. As he crashed, smoke and dust burst into the air as he broke into the stonefloor. As it cleared a second later however, he was standing there just like before.

"What the heck?" I stood there, confused at what happened. Could you blame me? My attack did nothing! It's like it never even happened!

"Zanna, watch out!" Dino's voice rang into my ears, bringing me back into the fight. I must've gotten distracted back there. At that same instant, a whip wrapped itself around me and pulled me back. At the spot where I stood, a thousand chains burst forth like a tiger's roar, spewing out flames and shadows. The same shadowy flames burst forth as if the ground erupted.

"Wh-whoa!"I gave out as I flew through the air, pulled by extreme force from the whip. As dizzy as I was, I caught a glimpse of Johann's fighting. He seems to be using a one-handed style, throwing his swings faster than even my enhanced vision could follow. Every time he swung his sword, all I could see was an arc of crimson blaze. He had this serious glint in his eyes, unlike the relaxed eyes he had in class. I don't get it, was it all a ruse? Who is he? He calls himself a Knight. He offered the Vindice that tome then pulled it back to his side. His actions just made me even more confused!

Landing and sliding against the stone, I only find my attention divided among the many things happening. Another particular sight was that as Johann's arcs of flames touched the Vindice, burning them, they would use their hands, ablaze with that grayish shadow, and push it right down, quenching it immediately. It felt unbelievable, flame quenching flame.

Out of nowhere, a warning bell set off in my mind, and my body followed, pushing myself up and rolling back. At the spot where I was, another great number of chains impaled all that was there. "Crack!" The sand and dust washed over my face as the chains cracked the earth and stone with immense power.

Tumbling back, I find myself stopped by a pair of hands. Only after I turn my eyes to see it was Dino who caught me. "Be careful, Zanna Decimo, these are unlike any of the foes you faced before." His warning came to me as no surprise. Fighting the Vindice all this while feels hopeless, like a useless struggle between prey and predator. The Vindicare members felt like mirages, my physical attacks aren't even doing anything! They would linger in the park like ghosts, their attacks and movements unorthodox and confusing. The chains they wield seems to fly with life of their own, relentlessly striking down on us.

Another feeling compels me to dodge once again, and then I saw one of the Vindice just poof in front of me, his fist crushed the air from where my head was, the dark flames swallowing up everything as his grip tightened. With quick movements, Dino shuffled his way in front of me, with sharp eyes and a wry smile, he gave the bandage man a hard knuckle. Strange thing was, it connected.

"Wow..." I gave out, not really sure if I was in awe or just confused. The punch caused the Vindice to fly, but even that wasn't the end. The whip wrapped itself around the guy's body and with a thug, Dino pulled him and sent him crashing, smashing him into the stone three times before throwing him towards the other two. Even Johann stood impressed, with his eyes wide open.

Not long after, whether it was instinct or thought, we find our eyes focused at the same spot, where the Vindice was. The smoke cleared once more, and they stand the same, unharmed. "Grr..." A growl so fearsome rattled out. "You gave your word, Knight!" A single, unified voice boomed out once more.

And then that was it. The storm, the power, cleared within an instant. The wind was no longer howling, the leaves and trees had calmed. It took me a while to notice that Johann's actions had stopped as well, in fact, he was te first one to stop, his body literally frozen in his stance. His arms now locked to his sides, he only stands there with a shocked look on his face. The flame of his sword disappeared, the crimson tinge across the silver blade now absent, replaced with only the cold, black hue from before. "H-huh?" I could sense fear in Johann's voice, his cockiness from before gone. "Ah! Uh!" As if against his will, he began slowling stumbling towards the Vindice, step by step. As I squint my eyes, I could barely see a faint glow surrounding Johann's figure.

Is.. he moving against his will? Why? Dino and I just stood there watching, suprised over what's happening. The Vindice also ceased their attacks after Johann started his steps, as if accepting the current situation. Do they know something? "No.. Is this.. the Oathstone?" I hear Johann mutter out in between his breaths, as he struggled with himself, strange as it was.

Soon, confusion and disorientation turned to hopelessness and tears. Yes, drops of tears started flowing from Johann's eyes, slowly. I don't know what was happening, and I don't think Dino knew anything either. All I could do was swallow to calm myself. All I knew was that Johann is bound by a set of rules, and now he's being forced to go with the rules. "Huff.. Puff.." I could hear Johann's breathing loud and painful, his words were long gone.

"...I'm sorry, Reina.." He finally whispered out just as he got in front of the Vindice.

"Hhrraaagggghhh!" His roar, louder than anything I've heard today, came out of nowhere. His veins would throb and bulge as he forces himself, and broke free of whatever influence that was controlling his body. At that sight, a huge wave of energy and force was released all around him, nearly throwing me off my feet. His control returned, he hopped back a step, his sword still in his right hand, and the tome in his left, and thrust his blade in front of him and the Vindice with conviction. His eyes looked tired, angry, as if he had given up. A pale, reddish color washed itself over them. I could see his hands trembling slightly.

"I hereby renounce my Oath!" He delares out loud, full of certainty. Even as he did, his voice shook. Anyone could've told you he looked like he was afraid. But he also had eyes so sharp and serious it would make you doubt yourself. At first, nothing happened.

"Uh.. Johann? You okay?" I couldn't help but break the silence. Everything just happened so quickly, but now, he looked so helpless. I can't help but care.

Silence filled the park, as everyone waited to see what is going to happen. And then, it happened. "Cr-crack!" Johann's blade broke. A crack ran across it, and it dissolved right into the air. The sound was loud. Johann fell to his knees, almost unbelievably, like forced pushed down on him. He slumped down, and still seemed to be forcing himself to kneel up straight. Everyone looked surprised, but the Vindice showed the most reaction. "Argh!" Johann cried out, cluching his forehead, as if stricken by extreme pain. It looked so sever he couldn't keep his eyes open. The first thing that came to my mind was a headache. "I... hereby.. renounce.. my Oath!" He repeated his words, stuttering just to voice them out. I could see him getting hit by the pain more and more by his actions. "And drive myself into Exile!" He continued yelling. By this time, he was clutching the tome tightly in his chest.

"No!" The voice of the Vindice cried out, almost desperate.

Then it was over. The force ceased, the wind calm. Johann shot up, eyes widen with shock, the face he had, of pain and worry disappeared. And he collapsed to the ground, losing consciousness, his arms still holding on tightly to the tome...

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**Wow, this took longer than I wanted, maybe I should start writing earlier from now on. Were you guys surprised by what happened? Were you guys sad? Cheering? Crying? Or maybe even laughing at Johann as these thing happened? I would appreciate it if you could tell me in your reviews! Well, besides that, keep your eyes out for the next chapter to find out what happens next!**


	36. Mask And Cross

**Author's Note:**

**Well, this arc has certainly taken a step in which I never planned before. Although I do prefer this path rather than the one I thought of before. Slowly, the year is ending, and if you guys follow the main story, the battle arcs took place after a year too!**

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**Chapter 35: Mask And Cross**

It was a strange moment, as if everything was frozen in time. It felt like Dino, Johann, the Vindice as well as I were the only ones alive at that point. The background felt gray, like the background of a vintage picture. Ba-bump. Ba-bump. Ba-bump. Each beat of my heart pounded in my mind for some reason. Maybe it was from seeing Johann suffer through that, I don't know. Ba-bump. Ba-bump. It just felt really wrong. I feel.. concerned? Why, I wonder? I know I don't really like the guy, but I still feel like I don't want to see him in pain like this. He cluches his head, agony stretched across his face. The wind howls in accordance to his pain.

And then he just fell, as if all life was taken from him. Ba-bump. Ba-bump. My heart only went faster as my steps rushed to him.

"Johann!" I cried out his name, my voice full of worry, loud enough and hoping for him to hear. As I got to his side, his head fell to the stonefloor with a thud, eyes wide, still in shock. Panicking for some reason, I grabbed him and held him up by his shoulders. By this time, his eyelids had already closed, him falling into unconsciousness.

Apparently, the Vindice wasted no more of their time. Just as I looked up, a thousand chains appeared from the air itself, seemingly appearing from the flames the Vindice brought with them. "Give us the tome!" This time they sounded worse than before, their tone desperate. They came at me so fast it looked like they were swooping at us, devouring us in their shadowy cloak. I guess I was too distracted by Johann, my movement came a bit too late.

The next thing I felt was the rough, hard grip around my stomach area, before being tugged by a great force. Flying through the air, I held on tight to Johann, who in turn was still grasping hard on that tome of his. Making sure I cushion the fall by landing on my body, I recovered to see Dino running to our side. "Watch out, I don't know what's happening here, but the Boss of the Zanna Famiglia can't die here!" He exclaimed with great confidence, a serious glint in his eyes. He even looked like he wanted to defeat the Vindice. He had this fearless smile on his face.

Looking at Johann, I felt him severely locking down my movements, but I can't just leave him at one spot for the Vindice will surely get him. "Man, I wish Kiera was here.." I randomly say out my thoughts.

"Yeah, the Valkyrie's help would be welcome.." Dino replied to me while facing the Vindice, suprising me because he knows Kiera. I guess I didn't expect any of the big bosses to know.

The two of us now stands back to back, with Johann collasped in the middle. I only felt a faint breath of the wind before another set of chains launched themselves with blinding speed. Unable to dodge because I'm protecting Johann, I did my best to kick them off trajectory. Immediately after that, I shot back at the Vindice who struck me. Once again, the bullet phased through him, the mummified member not even taken aback by the shot. It felt hopeless, like I was out of my league, which I probably were.

To my surprise, Dino went for the offensive as I shifted my eyes to look out for him. Closing in on one of the Vindice with blazing speed, he threw his whip at another while throwing a spinning kick. As expected, the kick was barely felt, but the whip pulled the member off his feet, and Dino threw him into a collision course with his target. "Crush!" The sound gave out as the Vindice struck each other, taking damage as I assumed.

"Give it to us!" They roared out once more, screaming like banshees emerging from the dark shadows. I look at Johann and can't help but feel like giving it to them isn't the right thing to do. It took a while, but the man named Romario made his way towards us and is already taking care of Johann.

"N-no!" I gave my reply, in defiance of what the Vindice wanted. I could feel my voice stuttering from fear and panic. Truth be told, I'm not sure what I should do right now. But, it feels like I've already made my decision. "If Johann didn't want to give it to you, then I certainly won't be the one to give it to you!" I continued, still fending off the mass of chains assaulting us. The shadowy flames was cold, but they nearly burned off my shirt.

"Know your place, Zanna!" They gave me their warning, their flames flickering bigger and higher than before. Another sharpened spike shot out at me, this time way faster than before. I guess I had been lucky all this while, but my luck just went out. Shielding Johann, I only managed to get in front of him before the spike pierced through my left shoulder.

"Zrgh!" The sound of metal cleaving though flesh was only drowned out by the sudden spike of fiery pain melded with cold, hard metal. Immediately as the flames touched my skin, I could feel a small, but greatly accelerating burning sensation. This amalgamy of feelings and pain was too much.

"Argh!" I yelled out as loud as I could, as if hoping the pain would disappear. As I was struck, paralysed by pain, I could even feel my mind blanking out for a few moments before I recovered. It felt unbelievable, as I was in my Awakening. A random thought flashed across my mind, appearing and disappearing just as quick. What would happen if I wasn't? Feeling my own body throbbing uncontrollably, I was struck by a mass of sensation again. "Eyargh!" I cried out once more, dropping to my knees. Sadly, the pain did not go away.

As the pain lingered, I felt a sharp sense of fear, more powerful than anything I've felt before. The cold, hard chain embedded into my flesh dwarfs whatever conflicts I've faced before. I found it harder and harder to steady my hand, nearly dropping Fenris. The only thing keeping me from doing that was the thought that I would die immediately if I exited my Awakening now.

"Zanna!" Immediately, Dino's smile vanished as he caught sight of what happened, rushing to my side. His eyes looked upset as he saw my wound, and he quickly turned back to the Vindice. I did the same, and for the first time in quite a while, I saw them as how they were truly feared, like messengers of death. They say death in the hands of these wardens could probably be the most merciful thing to happen to you, should you land as their target. As I glanced at Johann however, I continued to stand in defiance.

With sudden movement, the chains pulled itself out of my shoulders, the feeling of metal slicing through my wound felt like a barrage of bullets being shot through me. "Argh!" I cried out once more, the flame burning the open would before dessipating. I could see Dino worried, his offensive stance all but disappeared. He stands by my side, struggling to support me. My mind began imagining horrendous things, like the Vindice closing in on us, chains, flames and death slowly bringing the three of us to our graves. I can't help but see images in my mind, a tombstone with my name engraved on it, my Famiglia crying. Or us being thrown into a cell, deprived of air, light and life, even if I didn't want to.

By this time, my vision was wobbling, I was trying hard to stay conscious. My body felt extremely heavy, even with Dino's support, in contrast to the lightness my Awakening brought me just moments ago. It felt difficult to keep my eyes open, and focus on the situation. Ba-bump. Ba-bump. Ba-bump. The beat boomed and pulsed within my head. I can't even tell if my heartbeat was beating quickly or slowly anymore...

"Enough!" A command so full of authority, it snapped me back. The path where the Vindice was enroaching towards is destroyed, as a river of shadowy flames sear and eat through whatever was left of the park. I looked up to see the Vindice jumping back through the air, landing safely a few meters away. The mysterious voice brought my cautiousness to a whole new level.

Amidst the sea of flames and shadow that had all but devoured the park, in the core now stands an unknown figure. His approach was unprecedented and uncalled for. Nobody even noticed his presence, it felt like he just appeared out of thin air. Slowly, he made his way towards the Vindicare members. Dino and I stood, confused and paralysed, not knowing what exactly we should do. Romario was silent as well as he tended to Johann. A voice in my head cried for me to run, but I couldn't move my body. There was an overwhelmingly powerful aura, or intent, emenating from the figure. His presence has all but stolen away the control of my body.

The waves flickered, blurring my vision, but over time, I could see who he was. Long, dull-colored robes swayed with his steps, his figure commanding power, authority and respect. His armor, worn over his robes, was embedded with all matter of medals, emblems, badges and symbols. A number of them glittered and shined, but most of them was worn, aged beyond their time. The most commanding and prominent symbol was his giant cross, hung over his back. It looked like it was extremely heavy, made completely out of a metal of some sorts, swinging from side to side, creaking with the momentum. And yet, his movements remained steady, powerful. An interesting, and perhaps ominous sight, was that it was hung upside down, and inverted cross. A long, lifeless mask shields his face, adorned by symbols of an inverted cross as well. But, even without knowing who he is, I felt extremely afraid, like I knew I stood no chance against him whatsoever. Was it instinct?

Yet, a feeling surfaced within me as I saw him, but I couldn't exactly understand what it is. I feel like a thought was pushing its way to reveal itself in my mind, and with it brought familiarity from the figure. Just.. what is it?

"Crack!" A bone-crunching sound ran off as one of the Vindice was thrown to the ground. He did nothing to retaliate, and stayed down, silent in front of the figure. The whole situation made both Dino and I really confused. The ony conclusion I could came up with was that they are aquaintances. Blinking my eyes, it felt more and more difficult to keep my mind clear and my eyes open.

"He is a Knight no longer." He declared to the Vindice, his voice deep and monotonous, throwing his right arm to the side, as if dismissing Johann. Cold, hard silence would fill the place in between his words. Without his voice, it's difficult to even realize he's alive. He looked more like a statue or an ornement, towering over us. "The deal is off." He declared once more, his voice lifeless as it is. Slowly, he turned to face us.

"We are done here." And with those words and a waves of his hand, the same shadows, flames and fog engulfed them, layer after layer swallowing them up. The wind felt like it was being drawn into the shadows. The epicenter just kept devouring and devouring the flames until sight of the park returned. The trees swayed with life just as they did when we entered. It was as if that fiery landscape from before was but a mirage.

Amidst the wirling torrent of shadows and flames, the sight of the Vindice as well as the mysterious figure became smaller and smaller. As the heat and cold that both emitted from the flame disappeared, my body felt relieved, so much that I felt like I could fall asleep right on the spot I was in. Wind from the sea soon blew past me, and I turned to look at the figure once more. Looking into the small window of sight, I got a clear look at him and his mask.

Just before he vanished, I realized why and what I was feeling so strongely about. It's him.

"Argh!" Spikes of pain shot forth from my wound. Stinging from the salty wind tried their best to kept me awake and conscious. Yet, in the chaos of emotions I was feeling, my mind was crying out. Was I angry, afraid? One thought, one line of words kept all other thoughts at bay. That man, I have to tell Kiera! The stinging added more fatigue to my body, and soon, I fell to my knees. My eyes felt extremely heavy now, and vision blurred more as each second passed. It wasn't long before I fell, collapsed on the cold stone floor. I think I heard Dino yelling as I did, but I couldn't make out exactly what he said. In my mind, I thought, at least Johann's safe. Soon, consciousness faded, memory blurred, and my realization wiped along with it.

* * *

**Well, as you probably realized, things are getting slower. I guess I need more time to pump out my chapters now, and rushing them definitely isn't a good way to write stories. Was it a good chapter? Curious about exactly who that man was? The story continues as new conflicts presents itself to Amato and the Zanna Famiglia!**


	37. A Lost Sword

**Author's Note:**

**This particular arc is coming to an end. I know, I know, hardly any explanation is given for the turn of events. Well, I can assure you that it would be explained in the future, though. Sit back and enjoy, as the year comes to an end...**

* * *

**Chapter 36: A Lost Sword.**

"Whoa!" I woke up screaming, bouncing up from my bed. Blinking my eyes, I see Kiera and Dino looking surprised. I think it was a dream, I saw the Vindice impaling me with dozens of chains and spike, ripping me apart. I shudder at the thought. As the edge of my vision, I think I saw a flash of light before the words disappeared from my pendant."Uh.. Hi?" I called out to the both of them, who was standing by my bed, stunned.

The resulting action was Kiera giving me a slap, before she realized how wounded I was. Dino stood there smiling, I think he's just glad I was okay.

"Well, he'll be fine, assuming he doesn't do anything crazy anytime soon..." Vito had just came in, at Kiera's behest, and finished with his check-up on my body. "... hmm, his healing seems to be kicking in faster than I expected.. Interesting.." He whispered to himself in a curious tone. I suddenly got a feeling that he wants to experiment on me, I really hope it's just a feeling. Looking around, I was glad to see the bland, white interior of my room, as empty as it was. Kiera made her way to my side, taking a seat beside me. I don't know why, but it was difficult to move, I find myself struggling just to sit up in my bed.

"Sigh.. I let my eyes off you for one day, and you got into a fight with the Vindice!" She reprimanded me as I turn to look at her. Though she tried to keep herself collected, I could see a small smile on her face, as well as how difficult it was for her to suppress it. It was fun to watch, actually. I had to try hard to push back the urge to tease Kiera as she continued on.

"So... You're feeling all right now?" Kiera whispered in a hush tone, trying to look away as she did. I couldn't help but give a smile in return, and a pat on her head, which she swatted away moments later, blushing.

"Hahahaha! You guys are alot closer than I thought!" Dino suddenly zip into the scene with a smile. His words made both of us look away from each other, red all over. The Bucking Bronco took a seat beside me as well, looking really cheerful as he watched the two of us. "Well, the Boss of the Zanna Famiglia can't die today, I came here to make sure of that." He explained with a big, warm smile on his face. "You're okay in my books, and you'll be needed, very soon.." He said those final words before casually strolling out of the room. If I didn't see him fight for myself, I would've never, ever believed he's Mafia.

"Um.. Lord Amato? There's also the issue concerning the other boy that was brought in.. I believe his name is Johann Jacapo?" Kiera begin talking after she calmed down a bit. The name popped into my mind, and for a while it was nothing out of the ordinary. The jock at school, all the girls crying out for him as he walks by, him spending time with Gina... Then the recent events emerged.

"Johann!"

As soon as I heard where he was now, I jumped out of bed despite my stiff, heavy body. Each of my steps brought cracking sounds that send shivers down my spine as I traversed through the halls of my mansion. A number of members offered to help me out as I walked, but I respectfully declined. I'm sure they have more than enough things on their hands. "Huff.. Puff.." It wasn't long before I started panting, as my hands slid across the cold, white walls, supporting my body.

The bright, afternoon sun, its rays so bright, pierced into my eyes, as I stepped into the back garden. As my vision returned, I see a familiar figure standing a few steps away, staring up to the sky as well. His blond hair scattered above his eyes, and flew with the wind. His eyes looked calm, simmered. He gazes to the sky with a calm, gentle expression, almost like he was at peace. Somehow, he feels like a different person.

"Um... Johann Jacapo? Knight of Lazarus?" I called out to him, with memory slowly coming back to me. I don't know what to say, or what to ask, even though questions flooded my mind.

"Is that who I am?" He responded with a smile, eyes still fixed on the big, blue sky.

"Wh- what do you mean?" I can't help but ask after hearing his reply. His unchanged expression made it hard to think he was pulling my leg or anything. And, somehow, I didn't want to believe what first came to my mind.

"I.. don't remember anything.." He casually gave out, as if he was peacefully content and satisfied just following the clouds. I didn't know what to say, although I understood his words completely. Whether it was urge or curiosity, my eyes followed his and stared to the clouds. Johann's memory's gone? The question brought forth more, but I can't help but feel like he's gonna be fine. His eyes showed a degree of awareness, like he already went through all of this.

... Does this mean he's forgotten everything? No way... No one can lose their memory completely! I mean.. Is that even possible? Where will he go now? What will he do? The questions surfacing only made me more nervous and guilty. I myself didn't understand why I felt so concerned and worried for Johann.

"..So, you don't remember anything? Anything at all?" I just needed a decisive answer. I look on with curious eyes, hoping for the answer I want.

Johann shifted his eyes slowly, his face glancing at me for a second, before turning back, seemingly relieved. "It's.. fuzzy.. I see images, faces, but nothing I could make sense of.." He replied, still as calm as before, with no hint of confusion or despair.

"Th-then what will you do now!" I can't help but yell out in protest, before clamming right up. It felt weird, I'm more concerned about his well-being way more than he himself is.

"I don't know.." He gave back casually, beaming me a smile. He looked really peaceful. Digging through his bag, he presented me a familiar object. A black, leather cover bounded stained, or rather aged yellowish pages, as thick as the width of my palm. It's withered edges and dulled color gives off an ancient feel, as if the object has existed way past its time. It gave me a rather odd feeling of there being knowledge written inside, particularly those that should not be known. It was the same tome the Vindice was so desperately after. "Maybe this'll tell me more about my past.." He wondered out loud, curious eyes looking to stare beyond its cover.

"A leaning tower?" Suddenly Johann just gave out as he stared at the tome, his tone telling me it was another of his images in the mind.

Looking down to the green, swaying grass, I ask something I never thought to ask. "How about you stay here.. at least.. until you remember something...?" I offered him a place to stay. He's gonna have to continue school too, right? I know I disliked him before, but maybe that was just jealousy on my part, he's certainly been kind enough to me all this while. Or was that a ploy as a Knight? No matter, I know that whomever he was before, whatever he was doing, he's not the same guy anymore. His eyes told me that much.

"I don't think that's such a great idea, Boss." Dante's voice cut into our conversation from above. Looking up, I saw him standing on the rooftops, presumably scanning the area from the high point above. In one swift second, he hopped off the tiles of the roof and landed beside me. His stood with his rifle to his side, his lithe figure something I haven't seen in a while. "If you let him stay here, he might become a target..." Dante made no attempt to sugar-coat anything, and I don't expect him to. He's right, I'm Boss, I'm a target. This whole mansion is. Still, I don't want him wandering the world without a purpose. That's just.. so sad..

I look on to Johann for his reply, my eyes now focused onto his. I'm standing by my declaration, and I hope he realizes that. One look at my face, and he gave out a chuckle, looking down to the ground.

Kiera came out through the doors as well, calm and poise as she is, but upon seeing Johann, she stepped back as if she understood what was happening immediately."So you're Mafia?" He called out to me after a while of silence, looking away from me. "You're.. really not what I expected.." He told me slowly, walking towards me. The statement drew a smirk on Dante's face, and a sigh from Kiera's.

"Uh.. so what do ya say...?" I ask out once more, stretching out my hand as Johann got in front of me.

Shutting his eyes for a moment, he seemed to immerse himself with thought, before rushing to grab my hand. "All right!" He gave his reply with a smile, shocking me with the amount of trust he's willing to place in me. "Um...?" He asks awkwardly, before I realized I had to introduce myself again.

"My name's Amato Zanna, Boss of the Zanna Famiglia." I declared with as much formality as I can.

"You're a very interesting guy, Amato Zanna." Johann exclaimed, giving me a friendly slap on my back. He certainly looks happy because of the decision.

"Hm..You said it." Dante replied to Johann's words as the smirk remained on his face, before walking off back into the mansion.

"Yes! All right, time for a celebration, guys!" I suddenly yelled out, all cheerful and excited. Bouncing around, I felt happy and relieved all at the same time. With the wind blowing, it felt like the perfect day for a celebration. Kiera, Johann and Dante only looked at me with a surprised and confused look on their face. "Hey, c'mon! I fought against the Vindice, and lived!" I declared, boasting what I accomplished as if it was the greatest thing in the world. In my mind back then, it probably was. "Which other Boss in the world can say that!" I called out to their shaking heads and wry smirks, walking back into the house smiling and cheering.

Elsewhere, atop the rows and rows of tiles and rooftops, at a high point overlooking, a pair of masked ladies, fashionably dressed but skillfully blending into the background, looks on as I walked back into the mansion. Their pink hair flew with the wind, marking them out amongst the populace. Not making a sound, the Cervello kept their watch. "Interesting..." One of them spoke out, the tone almost mechanical. The two of them dodged back to the shadows as Dante flicked his head, almost catching sight of the pair. As he returned to the mansion, the two slid back out. "He survives, even when faced with the hands of justice, the law of the Mafia. His role is secured." Their voices came out in perfect synchronisation, their tone perfectly blended with each other.

"For everything that is about to occur, conflict and danger will arise at the other side. Just as there is two side to a coin, or that light cannot exist without shadow, a change is coming, and challenges will present themselves as the consequence of change. Unknown and unseen to the world, He will have to play his role." The two of them recited in unison, their voice lifeless, the words eerily resembling a prophecy of sorts. "The role of Savior, not just to his Famiglia, or to the City of Venice..."

"But also.." The two of them stopped, as if afraid or unsure of themselves. "The Savior of the Future." With those final words, the two disappeared in a flash of pink hair, light and shadow...

* * *

**Oh yeah! The end of this Arc as well as an ominous forewarning of the future! Did it surprise you that the Cervello had kept their watch? Just a few more chapters before the new year. Watch out, change is coming!**


	38. The Coming Feasts

**Author's Note:**

**Every once in a while, things slow down and you begin to think back on the memories before... Combining that aspect, as well as the question of how a Mafia boss spends his Christmas, I bring you this chapter before we jump into the new year!**

* * *

**Chapter 37: The Coming Feasts**

The day starts out with me hanging on the side of my house, or mansion, or whatever. The sky was a calm, almost cloudless space of baby blue. In my hand was a few of the christmas decorations that I was supposed to put up. The winter wind blows, and goosebumps formed all over my skin. "Brr.." I gave out unconsciously. The streets were littered with small patches of snow. I guessed I missed the snowfall earlier, still, it was quite the sight, as snow itself is quite rare here in the City of Venice, especially it being this early in december.

The ringing of the bells I had in the palm of my hand brought me back, and I wondered why I was doing it at all. "Oh right.. The coming Feasts..." I muttered out to myself. That's right, today we're supposed to have the Feast of Immaculate Conception, and put up whatever decoration we need in preparation for Christmas. I turn to see the Christmas tree I slaved to decorate this morning, as it glowed under the winter sun. I can't help but smile, feeling rewarded for the accomplishment alone.

And then there's the Feast of the Saint Lucy, as well as the Feast of the Seven Fish on Christmas Eve, though I doubt I'll actually have anything of a feast on those days. Looking around, the whole mansion looked empty, deprived of its usual hustle and bustle of Mafia activities.

"Sigh..." I gave out a long, heavy sigh as I realized how undecorated the house looks in comparison to the tree, as well as the large amount of decorations scattered all over the floor. "This is going to be a long day..." I whined to myself, feeling slightly dejected.

Now you might be wondering why the Boss of a Mafiaso Famiglia might be putting up stuff all alone under the cold, winter wind, but that's probably my fault. I asked the members to go spend time with their families, I even had to kick some of the more unwilling ones out of the mansion myself. I don't know if this is the right thing to do, or the safest, but I just don't want them to regret not spending time with their families. Considering our activities everyday, you never know what might happen...

"Even Kiera's gone... I should probably get back on it.." I reminded myself, struggling around. Except I can't. All this while, I was hanging there, by a thin, Christmas decor. It was what I got when I tried to use my Awakening to speed things up. Halfway through the leap from one side of the house to another, Fenris slipped from my fingers from the cold, knocking me out of my Awakening almost immediately. I guess it was quite the luck that a string of decor caught me by my leg. I think he's still somewhere on the roof... I hope.

The piece of decor hanged me by my leg, and I realized I'll probably die if I hung up there all day, so I thought I'd take my chance falling and struggled to untie the knot. "Uh.. Urgh.." Strange, it's pretty tight considering how it thin it was...

Another gust of winter wind sent another wave of shivers down my spine. "Uuhh..." I gave out uncontrollably, in-between my shivers. The longer I spent outside in the cold, the more familiar I felt. Memories started surfacing in my mind, memories I thought I had forgotten.

_It was the same scenery, the same garden, all except it was covered by a blanket of white. I remember standing out in the cold, all snug and tucked in my coat and mittens, and being fascinated by the flakes of snow. I think I was five. With snow being so rare, I was so excited about playing in the field of white that I even forgot about how much I hated the cold. I even remember the feeling of pushing my boots through the cold, white snow for the first time ever, smiling and laughing as I did._

"_H-hey, Amato, wait up!" That's it, there's that voice again! In the distance, a man walked behind me. A mountain of Christmas decorations in his hands, his face was blocked from my view., but I knew who he was. he was my Dad._

_Soon, we got to doing what we intended to do, which was to hang up the Christmas decorations by the end of the day, just like today! The memory of my Dad's face was still fuzzy. I only caught sight of streaks of brown hair, just like mine, short and neat._

"_Snowball fight! Snowball fight!" It wasn't long before my five-year old self got bored and cried out for something more, waving a snowball in my hands. By then, the Christmas tree standing in the garden was all sparkles and color. Dad was already putting up the decorations on the house._

"_Please, Amato, we're late as it is... With Uncle Gerald gone, we'll need to hang these all over the mansion ourselves!" He explained, his eyes darting place to place as his movments quickened._

_Of course, as with any five-year old, boring stuff turned me off. Ignoring Dad's words, I threw the snowball in my hand right at him._

"_Bish!"_

"_Ugh.." I saw Dad shiver as the ice hit his head, shaking his head to flick away the snowflakes. As rude and naughty as it was, I didn't realize it, and started running around, screaming and laughing, making snowballs and snow angels all around. Dad was left to do all the decorations himself, and of course, soon he got really, really annoyed by my playing. "Grr... Would you just shut up and stop playing, Amato!" Dad finally snapped, and yelled at me in anger for the first time ever._

_Of course, I stopped. Slowly I made my way to his side. "Sniff.." Tears started forming in my eyes, but I held it back because I knew it was my fault. For the first time, I was afraid of Dad. "I'm sorry, Daddy.." I whispered, my voice shaking._

"_Sigh... No, I'm sorry.." I lightened up and my shivering stopped when I saw how much Dad regretted what he said. "..It's just.. your Mom used to do all these.. she used to have everything ready so easily, so perfectly.. but now.." Dad stopped talking after that, and I think I realized what he meant, as young as I was. Fuzzy as his face was, I could see his tears slowly flowing. I started helping out, putting up the decorations when Dad's hands stopped. In the end, we managed to finish putting everything up just as the sun started to set._

Thinking back, I never knew that piece of memory would be something I would remember so fondly, as well as how much I would missed him lecturing me..

"Um.. Amato?" A voice I never expected to hear called out to me from the gates. Turning around, I could see an upside-down image of two people standing by the gates. A pink, fluffy coat over her body, Gina stood by the gate with brown mittens and a purple scarf. Her hands clinging on to the metal bars, she had a concerned look in her eyes. Standing beside her was Sergio, wearing a thin, long sleeved white jacket, as well as matching pants, with thick, leather gloves. Confused, he had his head tilted slightly to the right.

"Are you okay...?" Gina asked once more, her voice meek in the cold.

"Y-yeah, the gate's opened.." I replied, struggling hard to release the knot that was leaving me hanging. Alas, it was no use. I had to hang upside-down, embarrassed as I watched the two walked towards me.

"Hmm, do you need help?" Sergio asked out. From his tone of voice, I couldn't actually tell if he was being sarcastic or concerned, so I chose to believe in the latter. As they stopped directly below me, I realized how much danger I'm actually in, hanging two stories above them. The sight of my predicament was enough for Gina to give out a chuckle, and I felt strangely happy when I heard it. As they looked up at me, they suddenly took a huge step back.

"H-huh?" I couldn't help but ask out. As I turned around, a figure had the sun partly covered, the shadow casted over me. He stood at the edge of the rooftop, his familiar rifle at his side. It was Dante. With a flick, he tossed something my way. Catching it reflexively, I saw the cold, metallic object land in my hand. Fenris glistened in the sun, with some ice forming at the edges.

"Fenris!"

So after finishing dusting myself from the crash, Sergio and Gina decided to help out with the decorations. When I asked why they were outside my house, and what about their own decorations, they said they were done iby noon, and they decided to come visit my mansion. Even Dante helped out, in his own quiet way. His actions reminded me of a lone wolf, hunting on its own. But, everytime he got close, I would see Sergio and Gina tense up, especially at the sight of his rifle.

"Sigh..." I guess it'll take some more time to build that trust... I hope. The thought floated through my mind as I hung up more decorations on the windows. I know, most people won't ever be friends with his own killer. I'm just so different, huh! It took me a few seconds to notice Gina glancing towards me every few seconds. Everytime she did, I looked away.

Finally, we were left with just the gates. Picking up a bell, I prepared to hang it at the highest point, when I felt a tug to my coat followed by a voice.

"Why are you avoiding me?" Gina asks out with a hint of sadness in her voice. She looked upset and worried, constantly fiddling with her mittens.

It was difficult to look at her so upset, and worse that I am the one who's causing it. "Well... you're together... with Johann.. right?" I muttered the words one by one, shifting my eyes away once more. As much as Iiked her, I guess in my mind I've already decided to just let things take its course. If she likes Johann, I should be more supportive. Gina's expression changed from one of being upset, to one of anger and annoyance. Her eyes furrowed and a red hue appeared on her face.

"Can't friends just hang out together! What's wrong with just a guy and a girl spending time together! As friends!" Gina screamed out, her words so loud I couldn't hear anything properly for a few seconds after that. "And if you didn't notice, he's hit by his amnesia again! He's forgotten everything!" Gina finally stopped, calming herself down. I just stood there, unable to say anything. What was I suposed to say? Even when I thought I was doing the correct thing, I'm hurting Gina like this. I think Sergio noticed us, but decided not to cut into our conversation.

"Sigh... I like you, Amato Zanna. That's why I'll always help you like this. That's why I'll always wanna hang out with you." Gina stood there as she confessed, rocking back and and forth as she stood. She looked angry and embarrassed at the same time. Her deep, purple scarf flew with the wind as she closed her eyes. ".. I just want our relationship to be normal, for things to go naturally..." her voice quiet down as she trotted back to the decorations.

I stood there stunned, not knowing what to do. I felt warm, my vision a bit blurry from what Gina said. But, the scene where Gina agreed when her firends called me a loser lingered in my mind, making unsure of what to believe in. The wind blew stronger and colder, but I barely felt it.

"Sigh.." Now it was my turn to sigh, as I walked back dejectedly. A lot of things were going through my mind, but I knew one thing for certain...

"I still have a lot to learn..."

* * *

**Well, that was long for a slice-of-life chapter! I can't say I didn't enjoy writing it though. I hope the effort to make it feel natural can be felt! New things are abound, and I'm really excited to bring it to you guys! Keep your eyes out for the next chapter!**


	39. A Christmas Visit

**Author's Note:**

**All right, time to write out the festive season and cram it all down to this one chapter! It's Christmas time in Venice, and I hope to portray a fun and enjoyable chapter as well as a meaningful one, if possible. Enjoy!**

* * *

**Chapter 38: A Christmas Visit**

"Huff... Puff.." I watched as my own breath came out as puffs of white clouds. Rubbing my mittens together, I turn to see the City of Venice covered in a blanket of pure, white snow. I couldn't believe it snowed so hard that day, as rare as snow is in Venice. Snowflakes would float and fall from the lines of rooftops all around the city. The white, misty sky was diluted with snoke coming from the multiple chimneys of the City. It's been a few years, but I still get amazed at the sight of snow in the City every time I see them. I find my eyes trailing across the sky, playing the little game of trying to find where the clouds had hidden the sun.

"Sigh..." I unconsciously gave out a sigh as I looked over my City. Huh, did I just say my City? A year ago, you would never caught me saying that, ever. Before I knew it, a smile stretched across my face. I'm just happy the City's safe.

As I stood near the bench in the park, the sounds of waves, calm as they were, can still be heard. Suddenly, I got the urge to walk across town, I don't know why. The stone-paths so numerous around my City was brushed and littered with snow at their sides, their color dulled. The silence of the streets was broken as my foot-steps clicked one after another. I walked on, wearing a light blue sweater and mittens. "Brr.. " The cold sent shivers down my spine, but I ignored it and continued on.

The first place I went to was the street where the Assassin came for me. Also, it's the place where I accepted my title for the first time ever. The carts from the bazaars were still placed neatly by the building, covered by a layer of cloth and snow. I still remember the look on the guy's face as he limped away, his silver hair and red eyes glowing under the moonlight.

"Hmm, I wonder what he's doing now?" I asked out casually as the thought ran through my mind.

As I walked through the empty streets, the lights of the houses shine with activity. I guess everyone's at home celebrating Christmas. I had thought of asking some of my friends or my Famiglia to come and celebrate Christmas with me, but I can't be that selfish...

Standing before my school, I saw what looked like my school in a pile of snow. Looking up, I realized how tall the school looked, something I never paid attention before. Images of students enjoying their time at school popped into my mind, and another smile appeared on my face. At the highest point, I could almost see Dante aiming his rifle, the one weapon that never leaves his side. As the experience of getting shot not once, but twice crawls its way back into my mind, I shudder at the thought, heart-beat going faster and instinctively rubbing the spot where I was shot.

I could hear the howling of the wind dying down as I stood by the gate of my school.

Oh right, the Culture Festival. I remember my time getting dunked, yeah, it wasn't fun. I also remember how pepped my class were for the Festival, the stalls they put up. How surprised I was when my Famiglia came to the Festival as well, their smiles and laughter ringing through my ears.

"Hahahaha..." I can't help but laugh out loud as I reminisced on what happened before. Staring at the main square pass the gates, I'm amazed that all the damage from Skull's octopus is now but a memory. The well carved stone used to replace what was lost during that fight looked exactly the same. I still can't rightly believe about the octopus though, I don't think I would if I hadn't seen it for myself.

Then, my tapping steps led me to the De Luca household. I stood near their gate and to my surprised, their lights were off. Well, maybe they didn't need it. I admired Kiera's house from the gates, its bland, simple, traditional design looked really peaceful and beautiful with its coat of white. That was when I saw the damage from my fight with Fionn gone as well. It almost felt like magic!

Finally, I stopped in the park, with its trees swaying and grass blowing in the wind, snow slowly falling off the blades of the leaves.

"Sigh..." I gave out and stretched my arms wide open, looking up to the sky. So many things happened here, like the time when I tailed Gina and Johann when they were hanging out together. To the time Johann and I fought the Vindice side by side. Taking a seat on the bench, I find my eyes following the trees in a hypnotized gaze. Alas, the sound of the waves brought me back up on my feet.

"Amato?" A sweet, gentle voice called out my name. I turned to see Gina standing a few steps away, her pink hood up.

"Hey, Gina. Merry Christmas!" I greeted her as was my courtesy, turning to look at her with a smile. As soon as I did, I saw her fluster up, her face red with emotion.

She stood there for few seconds, embarrassed as she twiddled with her fingers and adjusted her hood, before slowly making her way towards me. Having calmed down the best she could, her smile returned. "Merry Christmas! Hey, what are you doing outside on Christmas?" She asks out, giving me the impression that she's trying to strike up a conversation to change her own chain of thoughts. Of course, talking to the Idol of the school, the girl I have a crush on, I gladly complied.

"Well, I can't spend the whole day alone, can I?" I answered her question with another, feeling strangely calm and relaxed in front of her today. "Also, being cooped up in that mansion by myself seems unhealthy, so I thought I'd go for a walk.." I continued, turning calm to look at the trees and listen to the waves. Shifting my eyes, I saw how Gina's eyes fell and how her smile shrank a little.

Suddenly, I felt like I said something wrong. Feeling desperate, I searched my mind for another change of topic. "Hey, aren't you gonna spend Christmas with your family? Ya know, the family lunch?"

Right, the standard celebration. A variety of meat, vegetables, cheese, bread, all spread out over the table. Surrounding each dish would be a bowl of sweets that compliments the dish itself. Just thinking about it makes my stomach growl. On this day, they serve food that's to die for, literally! Zesty finger-food like the Cappun Magro, to the Stuffed Capon, poultry stuffed with all the best ingredients you could buy. Wait, why am I thinking about food now?

".. I wanted to visit you cause I knew you'd be alone at home.." Gina's words left me stunned, her soft, sweet voice melting me away. I could feel the heat rising to my face, and it pushed away any of the cold I was feeling. Before I knew it, I was walking home with Gina by my side. "Um.. Gina?"

"Hm?" She replied with a whistle, her smile practically shining.

"Uh... nevermind." I wanted to ask why she seemed so excited to visit the mansion, but her smile made me forget what words to say.

* * *

It was a touching sight. I walked through the main hall of the Zanna mansion with Gina by my side, expecting serene silence, but chatter and laughs were heard. Coming into the living room, I watched as the light within each of my friends' eyes brightened as they saw my arrival. Johann and Sergio jumped out of their seats excitedly, their smiles appearing across their faces. I could even feel Dante and Vito changing their expression to a happy one as soon as I saw them, but maybe that was just me. The fireplace in which I haven't been using in a while, crackles with sparks and flames as the fire brought a festive ambient into the room.

"Merry Christmas!" My friends greeted me in unison. I turn to Gina, confused as I was, and she replied with a playful look on her face.

"W-what's all this?" I asked out, confused and surprised. I did not expect this turn of events. I could barely control myself as I walked into the middle of the room one step at a time.

"It's Christmas! Ya know.. Santa Clause, the Feasts? You're not that oblivious to the holiday, are you?" Vito replied to me as he leaned against the wall in the corner, sarcastically as usual. He held a wine glass in his hand, filled with a deep, golden liquid. Wait, is that liqour? As he talked, he waved his glass up into the air. He certainly looked like he was enjoying himself.

"Yeah, and we knew you would be spending the day alone, and we can't have that, so Gina planned this Christmas party for you." Sergio explained as he walked towards me, smiling and laughing from his conversation with Johann. The surprise was a bit too much, and I find myself taking a seat on the sofa to calm myself. It very much felt like the day-dream I had this morning, being able to spend Christmas day with my friends.

"But, what about your families? Don't you want to spend Christmas with them?" I cried out, worrying about my friends even after seeing the party. I don't know why, but that was the first thing that came into my mind. My friends all looked at me and shook their head, as if they expected it.

Suddenly, a huge, muscled arm curled itself around my neck, shocking me. A deep booming voice then yelled across the room.

"Zanna! Can't you be a little less selfish for once? I gotta say I can't have you as my son-in-law like this, you won't survive for long in the working world!" The towering figure pulled me off my feet by his one arm alone. My back facing him, I couldn't see his face, but his voice was all too familiar. Out of the corner leading to the kitchen, Fionn came into my view. He tried hard to look away from my eyes, and to look as bored as he could, but I knew he was enjoying himself. A little. Kiera was right, he is easy to read.

"Hmph. Merry Christmas." Fionn greeted me after what looked like a long time of forcing himself. Grabbing a cup of juice, he walked away and took a seat on the sofa.

"Merry Christmas, Lord De Luca, Fionn." I returned the greeting, as was my courtesy, still struggling in Lord Gerald's arms. As much as I did, I couldn't break free from his grip.

"Uh.. Sir? Would you mind releasing me? I'm kinda suffocating here..." I replied. Even so, my words were losing their tone. As I was left hanging, I saw Gina and Sergio chuckling at my current predicament.

"Not until you hear what your friends has to answer your question from before..." Holding me hanging, he brought me in front of my friends. "And understand exactly why they did this for you." He continued in his low, deep voice. From his words, I gotta feeling I was wrong about something.

"Lunch is ready!" Another familiar voice came from the kitchen, and Kiera trotted in with a smile on her face. I know that smile, that's the smile Kiera always put on after she completed her dishes. She looked as pretty as usual, even if she was in her maid outfit. I stared at Kiera as she got flustered after seeing her father with me. "Papa! I told you not to touch Lord Amato! You always go to far when you use physical contact!" She cried out, her serious demeanor disappearing for a second there.

"So that's it, my daughter's leaving me..." Lord Gerald suddenly went into a state of depression as he let me down, with Fionn being there to comfort him. I'd feel bad for him if I didn't have to catch my breath. "But, you still need to hear what your friends' have to say." The lord calmly say out and patted me on the back.

"We celebrated in the morning, and our family understands!" Sergio and Gina nodded to each others before turning towards me with a smile.

"Hm, be it charisma or just your leadership, your qualities drew me back." Dante nodded to himself, eyes closed with a small smile on his face, leaning at a corner of the room. His ornate rifle was slung over his back, right by his side.

"Someone has to be here, ready to treat you, considering how often you get injured." Vito spoke out in his turn, waving his glass around once more. Is he drunk? "You're gonna get injured today as well, just you wait.." He continued as his voice died down. His words... don't make me feel well.

"I lost my memory, and it'll take a while before I remember my family..." Johann voices out his reason, scratching his chin. He had this worried look on his face. Maybe he thinks his reason isn't good enough? "..For now, you're my family." He looked on with honest eyes.

"Yeah, and my family can't have you celebrating Christmas alone, Lord Amato." Kiera declared in her usual tone after calming herself down, her eyes closed as she stood with her cooking apron around her waist. Lord Gerald and Fionn nodded in response. "Also, I've made up for all the feasts you've missed with lunch today!" Kiera declared once more, her face practically beaming.

Hearing the words, I realized something. Maybe I've been selfish myself. Did I ever thought that maybe what I wanted wasn't what my friends wanted? Sending them back, leaving myself all alone, maybe they didn't want that. I pondered with own thoughts as I smiled, realizing what great friends I have. I took a moment, and saw how precious my friendship is with my friends. It is a feeling that I always want to have, a feeling I never want to lose. Their smile, their laughs, I will protect them. Silently, I made the promise to myself.

* * *

The sight of the city felt completely different in the sunset. The faint orange tint was accompanied by the rows of houses shining, reflecting the sunlight. The waves swish with much more life than before, hitting against the walls of canals as if nature itself is celebrating this joyous occasion. I watched, my arms up across the balcony from my room. The cold no longer bothered me. Today felt like a something from a story, though I can't say I didn't enjoy it. There's less smoke coming from the chimneys now, and I see people coming out of the houses now. Well, mainly couples, looking out at the sunset.

"Hey, Amato." A voice brought me back, catching my attention. I turn to see Gina walking out towards me.

"Hey Gina.." I greeted her back, the sunset making me feel strangely slow and laid back. Looking at Gina, I recall how the party today was Gina's idea, and I suddenly get the urge to thank her.

"Where have you been? You disappeared after lunch.." Gina asked out meekly, looking towards the sunset as well. Her dark, mystical hair flew with a sudden gust of the wind. Her beautiful, pale skin shined with the glow of the setting sun. Looking at her emerald green eyes, I felt my heart-beat getting faster. Breathing in a deep breath, it got more and more difficult to say anything in front of her.

"Uh.. Well.. It was great.. the lunch..." I stammered word after word, my eyes still stuck looking at her. "I.. ate a little too much.." I just blurt out whatever reason that popped into my mind. Gina gave out a small chuckle at my words.

"... Thanks for today, Gina." I finally gave out after a few seconds. Before I knew it, I had already turned to admire her. For some reason, when her eyes turn to see me, I felt flustered, and stumbled back to look at the sunset.

"... Amato?" Gina's voice asks out in a questioning tone once more. Then, a soft feeling landed on my shoulders. It took me a while to realize it was Gina's hand. As I turned to face her once more however, a soft, gentle feel pressed itself against my lips. A warm feeling washed itself over me, sending a strange, pleasant sensation through my body. Dazed, I could feel my body getting wobbly over the sensation. My eyes widen as I finally realized it was Gina kissing me, on the lips.

As her sweet, soft lips parted, I saw her face furiously blushed, red all over. Smiling, she pointed to the top of the door leading to the balcony before disappearing back into the house. Curious, and still locked in place from what happened, I looked up to see a certain plant, growing by the ledge.

"Well what do you know.." I said out loud to myself as I realized what it meant, leaning back on the blacony with a smile on my face.

* * *

**Really long chapter, but a good one. I'm glad that I get to develop the relationship between Amato and his friends in this chapter, as well as the relationship between the Boss and the School Idol! All right, the next chapter will mark the change and the start of the next part of the story, watch out!**


	40. Burning

**Author's Note:**

**Oh yeah! Finally! It's time for the transition to begin! Dreams can be such wonderful things. They can tell of stories, of the future, the what-ifs, the past and even something completely stranger to the dreamer himself. But, what happens if you start dreaming about someone you never met? Or of an experience you've never seen?**

* * *

**Chapter 39: Burning.**

The faint smell of ash and soot filled the air, the shadowy clouds, grey and ominous, covered the skies and clouded the moon's glow. A sharp turn of my eyes and a second later, a giant blaze spread across the scene. The heat, the flames, felt so real, I could feel my skin drying up. A look up revealed two giant rows of buildings rooted at each side, standing tall as they reached for the skies. Freaky as it was, the screams of millions echoed through the town, their voice, the tone never dying down even as minutes passed. Rubble started falling as the blaze got brighter, and the sound of cries clashed with the screams of agony.

"Huff.. Puff...Haa.. Haa..." a stranger's voice rang through my ears, tired, desperate, afraid. It was a girl's voice, and it caught my attention. My eyes looking through hers, I could feel all that she felt, see all that she saw. Her heart beat jumped so hard it felt like her chest would burst. Ba-bump. Ba-bump. Ba-bump. Ba-bump.

"Crash!"

"Ahh!" Her voice unfamiliar, she cried out in surprise as a huge piece of debris fall in front of her, her reflex saving her as she jumped a step back. Ba-bump. Ba-bump. Ba-bump. Staring onto the debris, the thought of what would have happened if she had moved a step faster shook her mind, leaving her paralysed. Whether it was coincidence or not, her reflection on a piece of glass on the huge chunk of debris stared back at her.

I saw a pair of deep, amber eyes in a state of shock, disbelief. Her face was sharp, beautiful, glowing even amidst the bright, burning flames. Neat strands of hair stopped at her neck, a lush, deep, dark color shining and reflecting the light around her. She had a pink, floral pajamas on, which brought a number of questions to my mind. As shocked as she was, her hands reached for the edge of her clothes instinctively, which were black, charred and burned. An inch further from there, a sharp pain jolted my mind, and her body trembled.

Seconds later, beads of sweat started falling from her head, forcing her to snap out of whatever trance she was in. It wasn't long before she continued her steps, running, dodging and snaking her way past the falling debris and blaze of flames all around her.

Through her eyes, I saw everything. I saw people I never knew, burning in the flames, screaming and crying out as they were left trapped in the buildings. Through the glass windows, I watched as the fire ate through their skin and bones. The hellish moans were only made that much harder to ignore because of the heat from the flames around us. Truly, it felt like I was wandering through hell. In my mind, a single thought kept coming up. I never, ever want to see my city burn, not after seeing all this.

"Uh.. Ah..." The voice started crying as she moved, but no tears fell from her eyes, I couldn't feel anything wet. Was it because her body was dehydrated from the heat already? Or was it because she cried till she couldn't cried anymore?

Amongst the flames, the cries and the screams, I saw other images, images of people I never knew. I could see the times this girl spent with them, her smiles, her laughs. I saw a man and a woman, and I realized it was her parents. Even as I saw them, the questions remained. Why was I seeing all this? The flames felt so real, it was torture, and people suffering so painfully sparked off the fear in my heart. It was chaotic and stressful, like a nightmare when you've lost all control, swept by all the horrors you see in the dream.

As I saw her memories, I felt it, the waves of emotions washing over her mind. The fire roared on, burning everything around her. The screams and cries of pain sent shivers down her spine. You would think, in such a situation, how could she still move? Well, there was one other emotion that pushed away all else. Fear. Fear for her own life, the fear of getting burned into a dark, unrecognizable crisp, as well as the fear of what was happening to her parents.

Ba-bump. Ba-bump. Ba-bump. Her booming heart-beat loud and clear, her steps brought her to the tallest building in the district. A burning flag was hung by the pole in front of it, depicting a red circle in a sea of white.

"Papa's company..." Her words came out soft, broken, as she forced her voice through her parched throat. Pushing herself, she pushed open the door with trembling hands.

Just when I thought it couldn't get any worse, it just did. Through her eyes, I saw the staff of the company lay lifeless on the floor. Some of them had their limbs torn off, the bone broken, as if they were attacked by some wild animal. Others suffered from cuts so sharp and clean, they looked physically impossible. Their blood stained the carpet on the floor, and some lie beneath the clear windows, their blood and body fluids smearing the glass. The girl made no sound, and I can't say I would've fared any better. Whereas I would've been shocked to the point where I couldn't move, the girl surprised me with her will, as she made her way to the elevator.

The silence spent waiting in the elevator was straining, difficult. Screaming, yelling and crying, all of it just stopped. And as if accustomed to the terror, the calm, quiet wait brought forth another form of torture. I could feel the feeling of paranoia increasing by the seconds, each sound, each tick freaking the girl out, leaving her knees shaking as she waited. The insides of the elevator were a blend of traditional wood with a mix of modern chrome and gold. And yet, the beauty of contraption was smeared by the puddles of blood as well as a severed arm rotting in the corner. As horrible as the smell was, the girl stood patient, cautious of what was gonna happen as soon as the door split open.

It was in that silence when I felt completely attuned to the girl. As the doors open, my personality, my thoughts, had all but dissolved with hers. It felt strange, it was like I had no control over what was happening, but everything that happened, every action the girl took, was what I wanted to do.

Suddenly, my vision was ferociously tugged to the sides as a pair of hands grabbed the girl and placed themselves over her mouth. "Huh! Ugh!" She cried out as she struggled. Dragged from her back, I couldn't see who her attackers were, and as terror filled her heart, so did terror fill mine. A round, metallic object was forced into her hands before they pushed her into a closet of some sorts.

That was when I saw it, a glowing stone of sorts in the palm of her hand. In her hand, it pulsed and resonated a warmth unlike anything I've felt before...

"Crash!"

The loud sound stole the girl's attention away from the object, and struck with curiousity, she pushed the door of the closet slightly to see what was happening. Bright, orange light assaulted my eyes, and screams could be heard. A lot of yelling, screaming as well as the sound of impact. The sight through the opening, a peek through the hole, showed me the man and woman who was this girl's parents. There was a multitude of crashes, vases smashed on the floor, the office table smashing through the window.

"Mom.. Dad.." The words came out involuntarily, but what was seen next shut her right up. A man walks into the scene, covered from my sight previously because of the door. Ba-bump. Ba-bump. Ba-bump. Ba-bump. Her heart-beat went even faster when an axe appeared on the mysterious man's hands. Shadows blocked his face, but his weapon shone even in the darkness.

The man and the woman backed away slowly as the assailant pressed forward.

"Where is it! Where's the jewel!" He roared out, anger, annoyance and a hint of excitement in his voice. His mannerisms reminded of an animal, or a hunter, prepping for the hunt. Confusion and fear came to me, and I didn't know what to do, likewise, the girl was frozen in the spot she stood in. In horror, we watched as they were chopped down, their limbs torn off and sliced apart. It was the act of a berserker, hungry for blood, howling as the deed was done.

"Ah!-" The cry was stopped by the girl's hand covering her own mouth. Surprised as I was, it was the smart thing to do. Her survival instincts took over, and she tried to stay as quiet as she could. Still, her tears kept falling as she cried in silence.

"Huff... Hah.." The man puffed out his breath, and took another deep breath as he smelled the edge of his axe. His behavior was sick and frightening, fear inside me growing larger than I've ever felt before. "Ah well.. That was stupid... Fun, but stupid." He mumbled to himself, his words cold and merciless, without a tinge of regret. It was completely inhuman. "Guess I'll be searching for it in the rubble later." He declared, brushing off the deaths he caused like it was some kind of a sick joke. I could feel her fear as the girl as her throat swelled from her emotions.

"Hm?" A questioning tone brought the figure one step closer to the closet. Ba-bump. Ba-bump. The heart jumped faster and stronger at each step. Did he notice something? Impossible! The girl panicked, falling back on the floor, pushing herself further from the door with her legs. Stepping into the light, a horrid, monstrous eye, full of weird, ominous lines stared through the opening. It felt like it could see through the soul.

"Well, time to sink my blade once more..." He exclaimed excitedly as he licked the blood off his axe. As I saw my own death, the jewel glowed even brighter...

* * *

"Aaaaahhhhhhhhhh!" I burst outta bed screaming my lungs out. Looking around, I sat in my bed, in the same, plain room. Through the windows, the moonlight was shining with an eerie glow. "Huff.. Hah.." My breaths sounded off, breaking the silence of the room. Touching my hair, I realized I was drenched in sweat. It was winter, but I felt none of the cold. Just.. what was that? A dream? But I wasn't in it! Questions after questions popped into my mind. Who was the figure so enchanted with the deaths? Who was the girl who met that tragic end?

"And what.. was that jewel?" As I asked myself, I can't help but feel I've seen something like that before...

With the howling of the wind and the crashing of waves, I calmed myself down as I realized I was back in Venice. No one came, to ask me why I yelled, or ask what was wrong. And why would anyone? Kiera's with her family. I guess Johann's still staying here, but I didn't want to worry him.

Strange, as I sat there, staring at the moon through the window, I kept hoping that Kiera would pop in and ask what happened, or just lecture about why I shouldn't be yelling in the middle of the night. Hm, do I miss her this much? Looking at the calendar beside my bed, the date marked the day as the thirty-first of December.

"Tomorrow's New Years, huh?" I asked out loud to myself once more. Forcing myself back under the sheets, I find myself recalling all the key things I saw in my dream. A frightened girl, a berserker without a heart, and a jewel of power that tied the two together...

Looking at the empty ceiling one last time, I got the feeling that the coming year is gonna be a bumpy one, before dodging back to sleep.

* * *

**A sneak peek at a new plot point! Just who was the girl that appeared in Amato's dream? What about the killer that smiled at the smell of death? What is Amato's connection to that particular jewel? Sit tight, the story is progressing in a way you've never seen! Think you know what it is? Tell it to me in your reviews!**


	41. A Fated Encounter II

**Author's Note:**

**Man, oh man, the latest chapter brought forth some giant contradictions to my story! Who would've thought the Sky Arcobaleno would return? And the chapter even showed a picture of Aria herself! Well, time to flex that writer's brain of mine to fix this right up!**

* * *

**Chapter 40: A Fated Encounter II**

Atop a high, windy hill looking over the City, I stood in my usual winter-wear of a light-blue sweater and a pair of mittens. I looked around and saw the blanket of snow that covered the City had all melted away, leaving a fresh, clean view of the City, just in time for New Years. Standing there, in the middle of the road on the hill, my eyes gently closed to listen in on the calm, relaxing sound of the waves pushing back and forth. It has become something of a hobby of mine.

A tap on my shoulder, however, brought me back to the top of the hill and the sight of the city.

"Listening to the waves again?" A familiar voice, calm and deep, asks out to me. Turning to see Sergio in his usual winter-wear, white, long sleeved jacket with a scarf around his neck, I greeted him with a relaxed smirk and a nod. "Hah! Sometimes, you can be quite the old man. You even had that look in your eyes." He continued, walking to my side with a bag in hand, and looked towards the view of the city.

"It's just, something I like about this City..." I replied, feeling strangely calm and relaxed as I said it. After a few more seconds of admiring what we saw, we nodded to each other as a wry smile appeared on our faces. From my back, I pulled out a skateboard, and did a final check on the neighborhood. It was a bit loud from the New Years festivities, but the road was dry enough. With nothing holding me back, I began skating down the slope, pushing my feet onto the piece of board with wheels.

As the wind picked up, trying its best to stop me by blowing against my skin, I could feel myself going faster and faster. Frantic as it was, I began to wonder if Sergio could ever catch up.

Ba-bump. Ba-bump. Ba-bump.

The feeling of the wheels sliding against the stone-paths was exhilarating. It felt very much like a roller-coaster ride, only without much safety present. My heart-beat racing, I did my best to balance myself on the piece of wood. As I struggled, I saw Sergio push himself in front of me, riding on a pair of roller-blades. I wanted to laugh as I saw him waving his arms about, but nearly falling off my own board brought my attention back. Mind you, I'm not good at skateboarding. Heck, I never stepped onto one before today!

"W-whoa!" I screamed out involuntarily, shifting my body side to side to balance myself after tilting too much to the right.

"Where did you get the skateboard?" Sergio yelled out to me with a frantic voice, squeezing out the words when he could. Of course, I have never seen Sergio rollerblading before either!

"Found it in the mansion!" I replied, yelling back while keeping my eyes glued to the front, which was difficult considering how my eyes seemed to dart all over the place as I skated my way down the hill.

Down the street, to the side of the road, a couple of teenagers came to our sight, chatting and talking to each other. Laughing, the different groups seemed to be enjoying the New Years proper. Dressed in winter-wear, their clothes looked as fashionable as always. It took me a while to realize most of them actually goes to Venice High. With their voices ringing through my ears, I skated passed them, trying my best to not fall off the board. Soon, all of their eyes fell to us.

"Hey, look! They're at it again!" A girl cried out to her friends, pointing her finger our way. It made me feel a bit happy that she actually recognized us.

"Again this year? What are they doing now?" One of the inattentive boys asked out loud, turning to try and catch a glimpse of us after we rushed passed him.

"Skateboarding and rollerblading!" A few other students cried out in unison, cheering and laughing at us as they watched.

The name of the game was Capodanno, which literally translates to New Years. During this time, the popular belief is that anything you do on New Years, you'll also be able to do it for the rest of the year. That's why we were skating and rollerblading down the hill without a care in the world. Every year, Sergio and I would pick what we want to do for that year, and everything else just falls into place on Capodanno! Actually, we have a lot of other beliefs for Capodanno, such as having big feasts without a care in the world, or just enjoying the fireworks that's put up every year. There's even the one where you throw old things out the window, and replace them with new ones.

As the thought flowed through my mind, one of the girl's misstep caused her to pushed herself onto my path!

"Hey, look out!" I cried out, and at that moment, whether it was instinct or something I knew before, I kicked on the edge of the board. Next thing I knew, I was flying over her, the kick propelling my body into the air, twisting the board as I did. Landing back on the other side safely, I was surprised the board didn't break.

"Awesome!" Sergio applauded what I did with a thumbs up. "How did you do that?" He yelled out once more, clearly surprised.

"I don't know!" I yelled back, the adrenaline rush almost too much for me to handle.

"Zanna, I love you!" Another girl cried out, followed by a series of laughter and giggles from her friends. As I pushed passed Sergio, I turned towards her voice and felt confused and happy all at the same time. Alas, I couldn't actually catch her face. Still, reminding myself that Gina's the one I like, I brushed the feeling off.

That was when I zoomed past a figure that stood out amongst the crowd. She was beautiful, with long, dark hair touching her shoulders, which flowed with the gentle breeze of the wind. Her eyes glowed blue under the light of the sun. Suddenly the interest hit me hard, and even as I glided down the street straight passed her, my head turned to seek her out, desperately trying to have a better look at her. Somehow, her features struck me as familiar. Deep inside, I felt as though I saw her before.

"Amato! Store sign, watch out!" Sergio's voice called out to me, but it wasn't enough to pull my attention back. The last thing I saw was the figure noticing me before a flat sign struck me on the back of my head, knocking me off the road and, out of consciousness.

The sound of steps, as well as the feeling of my body dragging on the stone-path woke me up. My heavy head slowly cleared up, and sight returned as I pushed open my eyelids. What I saw was stone after stone, the image jiggling and swaying from side to side as I felt someone else pulling and supporting me. Shadowed by the brightness of the morning sun, Sergio's green hair was shining in the light, as he carried me by the shoulder. He looked like he was chatting up quite the storm with someone.

That was when I pushed my head the other way, and saw the girl from before, holding up my other arm. She laughed, her face blurred off by the sun, and the dizziness of my mind. It wasn't long before I dozed back off into unconsciousness, my body stumbling home with the help of my friend and the familiar figure.

* * *

"WHAT?"

A scream of voices spread across the mansion, the tone united as it boomed out. I jumped back a few steps, my face stiff in shock because of the surprise. Even those usually calm and serious had raised their brow in a comical fashion. My Famiglia were gathered in the living room, well, the five of them that came back early from the break, with our guest sitting on the sofa, looking right at us. The only ones not surprised were Sergio and Johann. Sergio stood beside her, with a smile on his face, amused at the situation, while the latter seemed confused, probably because he never met our guest, even before he lost his memory.

"You're Aria?" I argued back at her, still disbelieving my eyes. She sat there, poise and calm, a little upset at our reactions. She looked completely different, with a red blouse and long, black pants, with small, orange ribbons tied around her elbows and her waist. Her hair looked really pretty as the bangs were pushed behind her ears, the ends touching her shoulders. Of course, she still had the mark of the Giglio Nero just below her left eye.

"Hey! I'm just trying out a new look, okay! Why are you guys acting like this!" She spoke back, her eyebrows furrowed, obviously a bit frustrated. I guess she expected praises and compliments, a more pleasant reaction from us.

"You've grown taller!" I just blurted out without thinking, comparing her height to mine. She's nearly my height now. At my comment, her eyes glowed bright blue as she bounced up from her seat, feeling extremely proud. Right, that's one of the main reasons everyone else thought she was a child when they met her for the first time.

As my hand instinctively reached for the back of my head, the wound still felt sore, throbbing by the second.

"Ow.." I whined out loud, catching Sergio's attention.

"Should've kept your eyes in front of you, especially when you're riding the skateboard for the first time ever, you know?" Sergio lectured me gently, reminding me of the incident. Kiera and Vito shook their head at my foolish error. Walking to my side, my eyes went from Sergio to the skateboard and the pair of roller-blades sitting beside the fireplace.

"Man, I never was tall enough to reach that sign, why did it hit me?" I complained, still confused over what happened. The year before, we went down the same hill, myself on a bike, and Sergio on a scooter, and we never got hit by the piece of wood! Sure, we crashed and all, but that was because of another reason!. Sergio looked at me with a surprised look of his own, as well as the look of disbelief.

"You've grown taller too, haven't you noticed?" He told me the explanation. I was left thinking hard to myself. Could I have been taller when I met Aria? Maybe I'm not so short anymore! Strangely happy because of this revelation out of nowhere, my attention went back to Aria. Why did she come here? And where's Gamma? Her eyes catching mine, she flustered for some reason.

"It's a growth spurt, okay! It's coming in late!" She exclaimed, her cheeks slowly becoming red. That's what she's so excited about?

"Why did you come here, Aria? Alone, nonetheless. There must be a reason.." I asked out, putting on a more serious look. Somehow, I felt like asking her, even though it was kinda rude. The eyes of the room fell onto her once more, the excitement slowly dying down because of my words. The Boss of the Arcobaleno suddenly appearing before me, a nagging feeling told me it wasn't just a simple visit. "And where's your Pacifier?" Another question popped outta my mouth. That's right, her very symbol, the orange gem around her neck, gone.

Seriousness returned to the face of my Famiglia, as we waited for her answer.

"I.. I saw.." She muttered out, bringing her hand to her chin, uncertain of what to say. It looked and felt like she had a reason, but was unsure whether she should tell us or not. Her lush, dark hair swayed gently from side to side as she as she stumbled up to her feet, and towards the wide window. That was when I realized it was already dark outside. Just how long was I out just now?

A single light exploded, bright lights covered the dark, blank sky. A spark of light gave birth to a million others, igniting the shadowy darkness with a multitude of colors. Each color bursting forth into more, whistling and shining the joy and spirit of New Years throughout the streets of Venice. Even through the stainless glass of my window, I could feel the cheers of the city, roaring through the night. The feeling of calmness filled my mind and body, distracting me from the situation. Looking towards Aria, I involuntarily walked towards her, and put my hand on her shoulder.

"All right, you don't have to tell me if you're not ready for it." I declared with the most gentle smile I could come up with.

Behind me, I could feel my Famiglia smiling with me, chuckling as if my action was expected. Standing in the calm, peaceful setting that was my living room, I looked around to see it the same as always. A simple room, the only decoration being a couple of vases, a rug and a fireplace. As much as I tried to distract myself, the question remained in my mind.

Suddenly, something soft pressed against me, and a faint, alluring smell washed over me. My eyes wide open, I heard a couple of gasps from behind me before I realized it was Aria hugging me.

"Thank you very much, Zanna Decimo." Her words felt true, like it came from the bottom of her heart. I could feel her soft skin, her gentle pulse gently throbbing in her body.

"Uh.. All right. Um.. Let's all.. go outside! To enjoy the fireworks!" My words came out stammering, as I flustered over the sensation came over my body. My Famiglia looked reluctant at first, but after much persuasion, they agreed to follow me out. My feet pushing my body towards the main hall, Aria followed behind me, smiling and teasing me about how red my face had become. Soon, the main doors were unlocked, and I pushed them open as my fingers touched and felt the traditional symbols carved into the wood.

"Huh?" The door opened to a stranger's face, his voice coming out involuntarily. He took a few steps back, surprised as he was. The man looked to be middle-aged, but the most striking feature he had was his hair, separated by two clashing shades of brown, darker at the back, almost blending into the night, and a striking lighter shade at the front. It took him a while, but soon, a smile appeared on his face.

"Ah, the Boss himself, in the flesh, huh?" He gave out, his eyes scanning my body. "Not bad, not bad at all!" He exclaimed loudly, making me feel a bit uncomfortable.

"Ganauche! Stop fooling around!" A strong, rasping voice yelled out the stranger's name from behind him, catching his attention.

I shifted my eyes to where the voice came from, and the view opened up to a sea of men and women in suits. They looked organized, powerful, armed with weapons, some of them I've never even seen before. A number of them stood in my front yard, checking out the place, as my gates stood opened. In my mind, I thought up of a couple of scenarios. Are we under attack? Who are these people? A rival famiglia? Further back, limousines and other cars filled the streets, I could even see the road closed off by the police.

In front of them were five other guys, that looked to be the ones in charge of the group. There was a man, with long, gray hair, wild as they touched his shoulders, bearing metallic arm. At his side stood another, his eyes deadly serious, his hair pushed back with a scar on his face, in the shape of a cross. Scanning the surroundings was a man with hair coming down calmly, split at the top of his left eye, with a lizard tattoo on his face. At a corner behind them, a man with a grizzled beard and sunglasses stared at me with sharp eyes. And lastly, another stood by the gates, his dark skin tone and hairstyle, coming down in the middle of his head like a tail, as well as another reaching his shoulders, struck me as exotic. The man named Ganauche made his way down the stairs towards them, joining the five. There was no denying they were exceptionally powerful, their presence dwarfing the grunts around them.

Slowly, the main members of my Famiglia walked out from the entrance, their eyes serious as they checked the surroundings as well as the situation. It was a bit overwhelming, the rest of my Famiglia were still on the break I gave them. That was when the eyes of the opposing famiglia turned towards the entrance, following the footsteps that rang through the silence that filled the scene from the figure's arrival.

"This is.." I gave out as the steps got closer, the figure revealing himself to be a man, wearing a rather olden-styled suit, checkered with red lines.

"Vongola.." Kiera whispered out to me, as we watched the man walking towards us. My Famiglia and I watched as the man paced on, commanding respect from the other members. He had a full head of white hair, and his eyes were calm, serious. In his hand held a traditional scepter, metallic front tip with a finely carved, wooden body.

At Kiera's words, I realized who they were. As the man stopped in front of me, looking up to me from the yard, I couldn't believe my eyes. Without a thought, I blurted the words that formed in my mind.

"Vongola Nono, and the Ninth Generation.."

* * *

**So, are you guys okay with the way I'm integrating Aria so she fits with the canon storyline? Although it's mainly her looks, if you guys think it's too much, tell me in your reviews! Just what is her reason for visiting the Zanna mansion? And just when all the excitement's done, the Vongola appears! Just what are their intentions? Well, you'll have to wait for the next chapter to find out!**


	42. Alliance Under The Lights

**Author's Note:**

**In the midst of New Years, the Vongola appears! Led by none other than the top dog himself, the Vongola Nono! Just what is his intentions? Is his appearance a curse or a blessing to the Zanna Famiglia? All right, no time to waste, let the chapter commence!**

* * *

**Chapter 41: Alliance Under The Lights**

I stood there, my hand, my palm, pressing against the pillars facing to the yard. The truth was, my body was frozen as my mind couldn't form any proper response to what was happening. The flash of fireworks burst off every few seconds, lighting up the dark night sky behind Vongola Nono. And yet, his presence was all I felt. All the members around him, even through their silence, faced him with respect. Their weapons by their hands, it was a very delicate situation. Immediately, the thought of what would happen to Kiera and the rest popped into my mind.

What does one do when one gets a visit from the leader of the strongest Mafia famiglia in the world? Kiera never taught me anything concerning this. The look on her face told me even she never expected the Vongola to come knocking on our door.

Instinctively, I readied myself, taking a stance as he stopped right in front of me, his scepter striking into the ground as he did. My own actions struck me as out of place. Was he a danger? I was certainly hoping not!

All of a sudden, he scrambled to the ground, his legs cracking as he fell to his knees. Holding on to his scepter for support, I could see the beads of sweat forming and flowing down his brow.

"Huh!"

A series of gasps erupted from the members, as a shocked look appeared on their faces. With the voices coming from my side, I assumed my Famiglia felt the same. As the other Vongola members were stunned by what was happening, I was already on the move. Stumbling to his side, I held him by the shoulders, supporting him with my hand on his back. Nothing came into my mind as I did, my body just moved on its own, according to what I was seeing with own eyes. At that moment, titles meant nothing to me, all I saw was an old man falling in front of the Zanna mansion, and I wasn't gonna stand there gasping!

"H-hey, old man, hang on! What's wrong? Are you in pain?" I cried out, ignoring the reactions from everyone else. My actions surprised even myself, but I continued with it nonetheless. "Kiera, open the doors!" My voice broke the shock Kiera had, and the two giant doors to the mansion were pushed wide open.

"Hey kid, who do you think you're calling an old man? Do you know who you're talking to?" The man with the metallic arm roared out once more, his rasping voice enough to pause my movements.

"Shut up! I'm not the type of person who can just stand there and watch when someone falls down, okay? Not in my City, and especially not when he falls right in front of me!" I retorted, yelling back in a slight tone of annoyance, as I finally got Vongola Nono taking the first few steps towards the mansion.

My words must have left quite the impression, as the man named Ganauche burst out laughing. Ignoring his reaction, I continued the steps into the mansion. Soon, members from both famiglias, regardless of what was supposed to happen, gave their assistance to their respective Bosses. In my mind, I didn't care if it was rude to lay hands on the Vongola Nono, all I knew was that helping him was the right thing to do. The mafia are humans, too.

* * *

In the house, I was left in a secluded room far from the main hall. An ancient room, the accomplishments of my ancestors were painted on the walls of the room, murals depicting all the crazy things they did, like manipulating fire, or lifting a mountain. Yeah, some of them were quite exaggerated. As well painted as they were, it often made me wonder why the murals were only seen the this room, buried behind the many walls of the Zanna mansion. Seated in an ornate, carved chair with armrests thick and tall, the Boss of the most powerful mafia famiglia in the world rested as his six other powerful members, or Guardians, as Kiera told me, stood vigilant.

I, on the other hand, sat there alone. It was both awkward and frightening. The whole scene was arranged as per the Vongola Nono's request, and of course, I was in no position to refuse. I watched him as the light flickered, the sight of his calm, steel eyes disappearing for a second, before flashing right back. In my mind, regret popped into place as I thought back on what I did minutes ago. Perhaps it was a bit too reckless.

"You don't have to be so nervous." Those were the first words that came out of his mouth, right after he gently closed his eyes for a moment of deep thought. "Thank you very much, Zanna Decimo." He spoke calmly, a gentle tone to his words. The air around me felt a whole lot lighter because of that. Taking another look at him, his face no longer looked so dark.

"H-huh? Uh.. yeah, you're welcome." I stuttered as the words slowly made their way out. I guess Kiera's constant reminders of how important this visit was got to my head, making me feel jittery, nervous.

"Tch. It is basic courtesy to call someone by their title. Is it a trait of the Zanna famiglia to not show the proper respect?" At the the Vongola Nono's side, his long strands of gray hair shined silver under the rays of the light, commenting as he brought his metal arm up, his fingers to stroke his chin. The joints creaked as metal scraped against metal.

"S-sorry, Vongola Nono." I replied almost immediately, snapping back to him as I straightened my back in my seat.

"Hah! I'm still amused he told you off just now, Coyote!" Ganauche exclaimed as he leaned against the wall at the side of the room, chuckling. "Not even flinching in the face of the infamous Vongola Guardian of the Storm, I approve of him already!" He joked around with a thumbs-up, his actions greatly annoying the man with the metallic arm.

"Watch it, Ganauche." The man named Coyote warned him as he clenched his iron fist. I watched as they exchanged words with each other, throwing names and insults as the other Guardians and the Vongola Nono tried to break it up. It came to me as a very close bond that they have with each other, and somewhat reminded me of my own Famiglia. The sight was calming.

"All right, all right. We're here on business." The words brought my attention back on. His finely crafted scepter in his hand, he looked towards me after solving the little incident that happened. "Amato Zanna, Tenth leader of the Zanna famiglia. I bring to you a proposal, I want you to affiliate yourselves with us." He declared, with a serious look in his eyes.

"Huh? A proposal? You, you want us to ally ourselves with you guys?" The notion struck me as strange, and the words just came out automatically. After all, if we remained alone for ten generations, why do the Vongola need us now?

"And here I thought he would be excited when we told him..." The man with the darker skin tone voiced out from the shadows. For a moment, his presence actually melded with the shadows in the room. It was a bit creepy. Was it too much to ask for reason behind their words? My senses were screaming out in the secluded room. The situation just kept feeling more and more suspicious.

"Observant, cautious. Impressive." The next thing that came out of Vongola Nono's mouth was an unexpected compliment, before he grimaced a little. His eyes shifted to the murals painted wide across the walls, and to my surprised, he had eyes of admiration, fascination. His look reminded me of someone impressed with a movie. "Looks like you were right, Bouche." He replied to the exotic man as his eyes scanned the stories written out on the wall in paint.

"Let me ask you a question, young man." Vongola Nono asked out, the light in his eye dimming even more. "What do you know of the Cradle Affair?"

_Varia._

_That was the first thing that came into my mind, and multiple images erupted next. I had heard of the incident, a coup d'etat within the base of the strongest mafia famiglia in the world, staged by their very own. Kiera's own version of the story sent shivers down my spine as she described it a few years ago. An arm of the Vongola, the Varia were highly efficient killing machines, bred to the bone with the knowledge to kill. The missions they were said to accomplish were beyond the scope of human standards, demonic even._

_But the one who inspired the terror in the story was none other than the leader of Varia, Xanxus._

_He was utterly fierce, devoted to his cause and beliefs. Kiera went on to say how he could strike down others without a tinge of emotion or even attention. Through his leadership, he nearly took over as head of the Vongola. But the horrifying event was stopped through mysterious circumstances. And the man named Xanxus disappeared from the face of the mafia world._

Vongola Nono watched me with serious eyes as silence filled the room after his question. His Guardians' eyes stared back at me, arrows piercing into my body, waiting for my reaction.

"Xanxus is coming back..." He declared once more, blowing my eyes wide open. The news was so shocking, I felt a tinge of fear flow throughout my body even if Xanxus had no real business with my Famiglia. Such a monster rearing his face back into the underworld, it couldn't be any good news. "That is the true reason I'm here today." The man, with scepter in hand, continued as he saw my frozen face.

"The Vongola needs your help. Do you agree to give it?" He spoke out calmly, stretching his palm, yearning for a handshake.

I could told you about the million things going through my mind at that moment, when we were sitting in that room. All the fear, the questions that kept popping up in my mind. The decision I would make could drastically change my Famiglia forever, or it could lead them to a path of destruction. Does this mean I would have to fight Xanxus in the future? I still didn't understand why the mighty Vongola famiglia needed my help. It was difficult, but the sight in front of me did little to help. All I saw, was a man, beloved by his friends, his family, stretching out his hand in a plea for help.

"Yes, I agree. The Zanna Famiglia will ally itself with the Vongola." I declared, certainty in my words. I would be lying if I said I wasn't afraid anymore. But I didn't want to see the smile they had on their faces just minutes before, disappear.

"Oh? No, you're not forming an alliance with the main famiglia." The Vongola Nono says out in a surprised tone as he heard my words, bringing his hands together after the handshake, with a calm smile on his face. My own face shot up as confusion took its hold. What? One moment he was asking for one thing, the next he declares the opposite?

"The group you're forming an alliance with is.." The leader of Vongola slowed down his words as if drumming up anticipation, his smile stretching just so much wider.

"CEDEF."

_It was an uncommon name, but not one foreign to me. The Consulenza Esterna Della Famiglia. The independent arm, the secret organization that specializes in intelligence gathering and cover operations. There were rumors that they are related to the Vongola famiglia, but the rumors led to nowhere, as far as records went._

"The External Advisors?" I blurt out the first thing that came into my mind. "So it's true, they are a part of the Vongola..." I tried to give out the assessment as calmly as I could, trying my best not to look too surprised.

"You knew?" I could hear the man leaning on the wall behind Vongola Nono voiced out in slight surprise, shifting his sunglasses up, placing them on his head.

"Well, we had some suspicions from the scouts we sent out, we needed to see if they're a danger to us.." I gave out my reason, scratching the back of my head as I realized I just admitted sending people to spy on them.

"...Impressive." He muttered that one word before going back to his vigilant position, leaving me slightly baffled.

"A few months later, the head of CEDEF will be here for a visit. I need you to form an official alliance with him, and do as he says." The Vongola Nono exclaimed in his usual calm demeanor, his white hair bright in the light from the room. Immediately, I perked up to carefully listen to his each and every word. No doubt they were vital information meant for my Famiglia. "I'll also need you to hand him this.."

His eyes furrowed slightly as he pulled out a box from his coat. It was an ornate box, a simple design with golden linings. Smacked in the middle, was the crest of the Vongola, A unique design of guns encircling a single bullet. A winged clam hangs above the picture, the tile of Vongola stretched across the bottom. In that moment, everyone's eyes fell on the one, small box, which was only a bit larger than my palm. Handled with extreme care, it was gently placed in my hand.

"Uh, sir, can I ask you a question?" My voice was the first thing to break the silence. He gave me a nod I response, curious about what I want to ask. "Why did your legs fail you just now?" I carefully ask out, unsure if it was too much of a personal question or not.

Another smile, this time gentle, happy, appeared on Vongola Nono's face, his laughter coming off a second later. "Thank you for your concern, actually this is one of the reason why the Succession is happening. My legs have been failing me.."

"I told you not to visit the bazaars on foot before you come here, but you just wouldn't listen..." The man with the lizard tattoo shook his head, upset over what happened. "You need to prevent your body from failing further!" He exclaimed, his tone of voice raised to emphasize the point.

"All right, I got it, Brow Nie." Vongola Nono raised his hands with an apologetic look on his face. It was a strangely a comforting sight to see the leader of the strongest mafia famiglia in the world so friendly with his Guardians. "But the canal city, with its crowds, cheers and fireworks, has one of the most festive New Year celebrations in the world, I just had to see it for myself." He gave out his reasons with a smile, laughing.

"Gah, the fireworks!"

I cried out in between the laughs we were having, as the realization hit me. The next thing I knew, I was pushing my legs and running through the doors, bursting out of the room.

* * *

The doors flew wide open as I burst out of the mansion, my eyes frantically looking to the skies. Behind me, my Famiglia appeared, their faces confused at what had happened as well as what was happening. Slowly, they got to my side in the front yard of the mansion, confused as they were. Aria slowly made her way towards us as well, after her disappearance when the Vongola showed themselves. With wary eyes, she carefully tread her way to my side. The yard itself were still littered with the Vongola members, the sea of mafia almost covering up every last patch of green grass I could see.

"Wait, so what happened in there? Lord Amato!" Kiera yelled out at me, losing her composure for the first time in months. I turn my eyes to see her in her winter maid outfit, thick coats covering up most of her body, accompanied by the usual frills on her apron.

"Let me get this straight, you ditched the leader of the strongest mafia famiglia in the world for fireworks?" Sergio cried out in disbelief, but as he did, he had this smile on his face.

"Hey, this is much more important!" I yelled back in protest, as the flash of the grand finale for the fireworks bobbed up into the air as a small, shooting star. In a burst of light and sound, the one spark split into a dozen others, a flower forming from the explosion. The hissing rang through the air as the night sky lit up the brightest I've ever seen that night. Pushing away the thoughts of consequence, all I wanted at the moment was to watch the fireworks with my friends.

As I watched on, I could feel as though everyone, even the Vongola, turned and watched the shower of sparks and light. Suddenly, a gentle hand placed itself on my shoulder.

"Truly, your love knows no bound. All my doubts were cleared the moment you helped me when I fell."

Slightly shifting my eyes, I realized the Vongola Nono who spoke those words, after having made his way to my side. I tried my best to focus on what he was saying, but my eyes couldn't move from the sight of the colors in the sky. As the shadow of the sky brightened by the flash, it became a memory that would last forever. Before I knew it, I was watching the New Years fireworks with the Ninth Generation by my side. Blinded by light and sound drowning out everything else, it took me a second before I saw the Vongola Nono, as well as his Guardians, walking out the gates.

As my eyes shifted from the array of light and colors to them, I saw them walking back to their limousines with an assured smile on their faces, the rest of the Vongola behind them. Under the New Years lights, the promised I made to the Vongola remained fresh in my mind, but I made it a point to push it away, at least until New Years was over. I just wanted to spend the day, or what was left of it, with the rest of my Famiglia.

* * *

**Ha ha, this came late by a day! It took me a while to get writing, but once I did, the sentences just formed one after another! I hope my portrayal of the Ninth Generation is acceptable to you guys! If you readers think it feels too out of place, then tell it to me in your reviews! The visit from the Vongola left Amato with a heavy mind, and a new responsibility! Just what is in store for the Zanna Famiglia? Follow the story to find out!**


	43. Reclamation Complete!

**Author's Note:**

**Recently, I've been looking back at the story, and I realized it's been a while since Amato's life was at risk. Wondering if the heavy responsibilities of being a Mafia boss seems non-existent in the current chapters, I'm now trying to add in more battle scenes into the chapters. Enjoy!**

* * *

**Chapter 42: Reclamation Complete!**

Under the shadow of night, we moved. The sky was cloudless. I went from crate to crate, my hands gripped firmly on the cold metal as I tried my best to stay out of sight. A cold, gray fog encompassed the area, while the smell of the sea kept running into my nose. I made sure my steps were silent, trying my best to not follow the image of a ninja tiptoeing that had formed in my mind. Strange as it was, I was alone. It was all part of our plan. My eyes darted all over the place in order to home in on the target.

Fenris chilling in my hand, the situation only made the cold that much worse.

"Clang! Crank! Kachink!"

There he is! Amidst the gray, lifeless crates that blended into the background, sparks flew as the familiar figure came into my sight. The sound of metal hitting metal, slamming into flesh, could be heard. Sergio walks into the scene alone, the length of chains in his hand. His grip on the chains, he struck down all the men who charged at him with ease, sniping at their vitals with unbelievable precision. Wow, he got that strong in three months? I was left impressed, and a bit freaked out.

"What's with this kid? Why didn't we hear anything about this?" One of the thugs that were stalking around flustered as pulled out his pistol, only to have it smashed right out of his hand a second later.

"Why haven't we heard anything from the scouts?" Another man cried out, as he was pulled by the neck, suffocating because of the chains. Dragged on, he was thrown into a pile of boxes with a crash.

Sergio walked on, step by step, calm as he swung his chains. They were wrapped around his torso, and as he fought, he kept a serious, silent demeanor. Not one bead of sweat formed on his forehead as he fended off the groups assaulting him. I watched on in the shadows, continuing what I was supposed to do. My role for that mission was support.

Suddenly, a shadow moved from above one of the huge, metal crates in the distance. The figure caught sight of Sergio as he entered the area, and the sound of motor and machine filled the scene. The next moment came with a shower of bullets. The shots were loud, I could barely hear anything else. Frantic, I turned to see Sergio running and jumping from side to side, doing his best to dodge the shots. It didn't look like it was working so well, but even through that, he tried his best to stay calm and composed.

When I saw a few men trying to ambush Sergio from behind while he was distracted, that was when I made my move.

"Fenris!"

I roared out mid-way in my dash towards Sergio, and as the force rend the wind like claws sharpening into the surroundings, I pounced on those thugs. My pendant flashed in a spark of bright light, the word FANG appearing from the heirloom's swirling center. My legs shooting out, I aimed for their vitals, knocking the weapons out of their hands. In enhanced state, they moved so slow it was almost pitiful. But soon, the storm of bullets and metal caught me in as well.

"Amato!" Sergio cried out, perhaps the only word he could squeeze out with his eyes locked on the chain-guns raining bullets down on us, which had since multiplied to three.

"You look like you needed help." I gave my reply, raising Fenris up towards those above us, trying my best to blow them up and stop the bullets.

Soon, it was just us, the three men and their chain-guns. The bullets sprayed all over the place, grazing and cutting into my face, my elbow and my shin. Because of the frantic dodging, it was difficult to get a shot at them, even in my Awakening. My body got heavier by the second, my own movements getting dull, slowing down. My ears had been deaf for a while now, all I could follow was the sparks and flames from the guns, flaring in the darkness of night. Sergio's chains could only knock away so many shots, and when he fell down to the ground, shot in the leg, I really thought it was over.

The next second passed, and silence had filled the scene. I turn around, frantic to know just what had happened, and a metal chain-gun, torn and smashed, crashed in front of us. Our savior dropped down from the crates a while later. His dark blue hair shadowing his face, Dante paced towards us with his sniper rifle in hand. He gave a final scan of the surroundings before offering a hand to help Sergio up.

"Ngh.. I'm fine!" He responded with rather hostile tone, slapping away Dante's hand. Grunting, he struggled as he forced his body to stand, all while glaring at Dante. "Tch...You're the back-up I asked for?" Sergio grumbled to himself, obviously annoyed, before limping his way toward the harbor-master's office.

Moments later, the three of us emerged through the door. I stood in the middle as Sergio walked by my right, and Dante, my left. They haven't even looked at each other ever since Dante appeared to save us. Worried as I was, I couldn't bring myself to talk to them, to get them to accept each other. Sergio's stubbornness was often his strongest point, I never had much success talking him out of anything he believed in. The three of us left the Docks after we made sure the thugs were drove out completely.

"All right, Docks secured, mission complete." I announced to the two of them as we walked past the gates...

* * *

"Hey, hey Amato!" Johann bounced into the room, his voice loud and cheerful. My eyes found themselves on the Blondie, the troubles he had seemed almost like it never happened. Light shining into the room, I sat in the sofa, back in the mansion, with Kiera facing me on the opposite side. She stood with a whiteboard pushed into the living room. Aria sat a few seats away, listening attentively to the discussion we were having, her blouse in a deep blue today. Her orange ribbons was nicely off-set by the color of her lush hair. A few of my men stood behind us, a faint look of anticipation in their eyes. It was a noisy, bustling day in the mansion.

"Oh man, they're having this all-you-can-eat-contests in Japan right now! How I wish we could go there for a visit!" Johann's voice seemed to rang across the whole mansion as he jumped to my side of the sofa, rolling around like a child.

"Calm down, we'll talk about this later.." I gave him my promise so that he could calm down. It didn't work very well, but he managed to bounce upright, taking a seat at my side, keeping himself quiet.

"All right, as of right now, I'm happy to announce the complete reclamation of the City of Venice!" Kiera proclaimed in a proud manner, still keeping her cool. Though, I could feel the slight tinge of excitement in her voice. The diagram drawn on the board, complicated as it was, ended as a highly-detailed sketch of the City. The areas were lit-up, representing the parts of the city that were reclaimed through the past six months.

"Yeah! Woo hoo!"

A wave of cheers burst forth from my men, some of them even jumping into the air, throwing their fists up high. The feeling was so contagious, I began to smile involuntarily. A smile appeared on Aria's face as well, cheerful and happy for our success. Soon, the cheers were resonating throughout the mansion.

"Now we need to discuss what to do next, to propel the Famiglia forward." Her voice continued on, her words like a ray of light, signaling a new age for my Famiglia. As her eyes landed on Johann, however, she spoke out something I didn't expect. "Well, I guess we could initiate that a few weeks later, you deserve the rest." Her words calm and gentle as she began to push the board away.

"With our involvement with the Vongola, it may already be happening, with or without our control..." She continued, her tone making me wonder whether that's a good thing or a bad thing.

"Kiera, I.." The words stopped halfway, but I pushed them out of my mouth. "I need to tell you something.." I called out to her as my hand landed on her left shoulder, the images, the memory of the dream I had flashing into my mind. Though blushing, she took a seat on the sofa and began listening.

I explained to her, in detail, of what I had been seeing in my sleep. The images, the feeling had been carved into my mind as the dream kept appearing, night after night. Sometimes, I would forget all about it by morning, but the main points remained, as well as the question. The girl, the beast, and the jewel of power. The light shining forth from the stone felt so familiar, as if I've seen it before. Just what was my connection with them? After the second week of dreams, I was convinced it was more than what it seems.

After seeing her face for the tenth time, I couldn't help but feel worried about her. A deep feeling formed within me, a conviction to help her. At my explanation, Kiera's eyes widened with surprise, a look that had become a rare sight these days. She listened with concern, her attention at the utmost peak as she sought out my every word, and when I ended, she left the room in a hurry without a single word.

"Um.. Aria.. what just happened?" Asking out the question in my mind was the only thing I could do. By this time, Johann had already wandered off elsewhere into the mansion.

"I'm sure there's reason behind her actions." Aria replied calmly, picking up her cup of tea and sipping it.

A few minutes later, Kiera trotted back, her steps light and soft, the frills on her maid outfit bouncing as she moved, a sweat to her brow. Catching her breath, I saw a small smile on her face before she herself wiped it off, returning to her usual, reserved self. Stroking her fringe behind her ear as if she was nervous, it made me wonder what could excite Kiera so much. In her hands was a thick, ancient tome. Its cover leather, the pages were stained by age and torn by time. Without even taking a seat, the words that came out of her surprised me even more.

"We'll need to have you take some time off from school..." She spoke out calmly, the excitement that was over her a few moments ago all but disappeared. Looking around, Sergio and the others had already entered the room, gathered upon Kiera's request. Even Johann, a surprise because he technically wasn't a part of the Famiglia.

"What? What do you mean take some time off from school?" I yelled out at this sudden decision, eyebrows raised.

With a smirk, Kiera gave out the order for the next mission, what we were going do next.

"We're going to Japan!"

* * *

**The arc is progressing quite nicely! Before even raising his hands in celebration, Amato is given a new mission, one that takes him out of his City, and even out of Italy itself! Are you guys as excited as I am? Keep a lookout for the next chapter update!**


	44. The Path To The Right Hand

**Author's Note:**

**Yes! It's been so long since the idea of the Zanna Famiglia visiting Japan came into my mind! I'm so glad I managed to continue the story to this stage! Well, there will be one more chapter before the visit officially starts! I hope to squeeze in some character development as well, enjoy!**

* * *

**Chapter 43: The Path To The Right Hand**

**A Sacred Code.**

Hands on the balcony, the wind of the sea blowing through my hair, I was slightly tired from what I did, but I never felt more gratified. Each day, I was glad to be able to help Amato anyway I could. As soon as the bell in school rang, my legs took me to the front doors of the Zanna mansion. Looking down to the streets from where I was standing, I remembered the time I used to step onto the ceramic floor whenever the Boss himself felt a bit too lonely. These few days, my work is a bit different, but the feeling remained the same. Catching the sound of footsteps and a glance of blond hair, I turn back into the house with a smile.

"Sergio, I need you to make sure we have everything we need packed up, and remind the others as well." Kiera, the graceful caretaker of Amato, barely even stopped her steps as she gave me the order. Her golden bangs shining, I couldn't help but chuckle at her words.

"Just what is so amusing?" The Valkyrie asked out sternly, a sharp look to her eyes.

"Ha ha! I just... remembered when you first started training me..." I said out laughing as the memory rushed into my mind. "You had a difficult time calling me by my first name.." I continued. It was true, Kiera was extremely polite, even when she gave me instructions and routines, she only addressed me by 'Mister Endoh'. It felt out of place, especially coming from a girl who's older than me, but it wasn't something I could fault her for. At most, I was impressed by her courtesy.

Turning away at my words, I couldn't quite catch her face, but I suspected that it wouldn't have been an angry one. Readying myself after a deep breath, I waved goodbye as my steps rumbled down the stairs. As I reached the grand hall, leading towards the main doors, my eyes went on to scan the very walls itself, the majesty of it all still so astounding, sometimes it was difficult to move away from the spot and get on with my work. Gently nudging the huge doors open, I was surprised to see someone just about to do the same.

"Hi, Sergio!" The voice was so recognizable, it perked me right up, her lush hair and green eyes ever so familiar. Regina stood at the doorway, a hopeful smile on her face.

"Hey, Regina." I replied, as was the polite thing to do. Even before my words ended, her eyes were already peeking around, her head dodging behind me and to the side. Excitement coming over her, she only moved quicker as the seconds passed. Finally, she stopped and calmed herself after realizing that the one she was looking for wasn't in the house.

"Looking for Amato?" I gave it out with a smile after assessing the situation. Unexpectedly, Regina flustered at my words, her face dyed in a tint of red. Never would she acted the way she did should I had given out another name, but that only made me that much more happy for her. "He's still at school, project work, I think." I did my best to keep the conversation going after seeing her clam up.

"Um.. so when will he be back?" Regina asked out with a sudden soft tone, flicking her hair as if trying to distract herself from her nervousness. "You guys are leaving today, right?" Her words continued, her eyes falling slightly as she did.

"He should be back any moment now." As I declared, I put my hand over my eyes to block the afternoon glare, and looked on as if trying to search for him in the streets. "So..." Churning out the words slowly after Regina's calmed down a bit, I asked her the thought that had been nagging in my mind. "How's the new job? Is it difficult, the staff aren't bullying you, are they?" The concern blew out of proportion before I knew it, my voice becoming increasingly louder with each word.

Stepping towards the street, Regina's smile remained on her face as she gave me her reply. "I'm fine! It's a bit difficult, but I'm learning the ropes! Please don't do anything to the other staff members." The idol of the school joked at my expression from before. Was I really that threatening? The concern was to be expected, though. After so many years as friends, I had come to see Regina like a sister.

"You'll take care of him, right Sergio?" As we reached the gates, a sullen look appeared on her face as she spoke the words. Even without any hints, I knew she was referring to Amato.

"Yeah, by my code." I gave her the promise with a smile before we parted ways, Regina's worry strengthening my resolve.

Through the streets I went, my steps slowly turning brisk. As I did, my eyes caught sight of a crowd clamoring over a particular restaurant in the shopping district. Distracted by the fact that most of the people in the crowd were teenagers, I couldn't help but push my way through to at least see what was happening. The stone-path streets quickly morphed into fancy rugs, as color, a little too bright for my own tastes, stung my eyes from the walls. It seemed another chain of restaurants were introduced to Venice when the New Years passed by.

"Sigh..." The sound was blurted out without my control. Frankly, I never liked these restaurants, but the jarring colors made it that much more difficult to stay in the restaurant. Although, I can understand why some people might like it there. The teens around Venice are always attracted to new sights. "Man, Amato must be getting to me.." I whined to myself as the realization of how old I sounded came to me.

"Chug! Chug! Chug! Chug! Chug!" The chant was loud, the words booming in my mind. Into the restaurant brought me to a table with only one person in the seats. His blond hair swaying with each mug coming to his mouth, the number of glass mugs on the tables exploded within a few seconds later. The eyes of the crowd only got wider as the excitement grew. I, myself, stood there staring with utter disbelief as Johann gulped down chocolate milk, mug after mug. Five mugs after I started watching however, his movements never lost their speed.

After the three hundredth mug however, the crowd had dissipated. I was the only one still watching as Johann's face fell on the table. Looking around, I was somewhat annoyed by the expected behavior of the public. When the excitement was gone, nobody even bothered to help him up. Not even the staff of the restaurant.

"Johann? Johann!" I called out to his name, nudging him on his shoulders, but to no avail. "Sigh... What should I do now?" As I stood confused, it felt like the two of us just turned invisible in front of the public.

* * *

My steps continued, and before long, I already entered the airport. The rays of the sun were cast over my whole body, warming me up, the glaring light making me wince. As I traversed past the numerous passenger and cargo planes, the scene soon cleared up to an empty airstrip on a huge,concrete field. The airstrip is said to be used privately by the Zanna Famiglia, carefully concealed from the public. Each of my steps were heavier than before, however, courtesy of the guy hanging from my back.

"Oh, a giant popsicle, awesome!" Johann started screaming out, eyes closed, tongue sticking out from whatever dream he was having.

"No, no, don't you lick me, Johann!" I yelled out as I turned to see his face, still half-asleep. The feeling of heavy shoulders disappeared as the randomness of the situation overwhelmed me. Just what was he dreaming about?

"Huh?" Finally, Johann's eyes slowly rose from their previously droopy state, his golden hair flying with a breath of wind. Looking around, he did his best to recover himself as I continued towards my destination. It took him a few minutes to actually realize I was carrying him in a piggyback. "Sergio? Huh, when did I get on your back?" Johann asked out, as was the expected reaction.

"Try recalling..." I replied, focusing more on the walk. Pushing myself, I had forgotten all about letting Johann down.

"Oh right, I was at the restaurant, they were having the challenge of chugging down one hundred mugs of chocolate milk. You get past the one hundredth cup and their all free... but.." Johann's words flew out faster than I could follow when he collected himself. Even as he did, he never did ask to get off my back. It was kinda annoying, but I never scolded him because of it.

"That's the reason why you were forcing the drinks down your throat so quickly?" I exclaimed, hardly believing what I heard. His actions and reason lacked sense, and they seemed random, like something out of a cartoon. Did he really did all that just so he could have some free drinks? Was the lack of price worth fainting over? "You said when you went past the hundredth cup, but you reached three hundred!" The thought only seemed more random when I spoke of it.

"Ha ha, I just wanted to have a few more." Casually, the reason that didn't have much sense were given out. Johann looked towards the skies, the sun, before giving out a deep breath.

Just hearing his voice, I came to a feel of understanding. As the area where I was walking to came into sights, the questions in my mind didn't feel like problems anymore. He just love to drink chocolate milk. That was the reason formed in my head. I didn't ask him how random or stupid it was because it truly felt like it was that simple. That he's just acting how he is, and I couldn't fault him for that.

"Sergio... Thanks."

The sudden gratitude came out of nowhere, so surprising was it that my head even looked back to see if it really came from Johann. "Well, you could've just left me there when I fainted, as was the normal thing to do." Johann explained, but all he got back from those words were my confused face. What is he rambling on about? How could I have left him alone like that? "Hah, sometimes, the world can be a whole lot more cruel than you expect." He told me as he saw my face, before jumping off my back and jogging on ahead. I was left wondering as I watched his back. Just who is he?

Reaching the destination, Aria's white jet stood in its proud stature. Sleek in its design, it would be the transportation we need to Japan. A few steps further in, I could see Dante, Vito and Aria already there. The question of whether Aria herself flew it here still lingered in my mind as I approached it.

"All right, that's all of it." I declared, carefully putting down the last crate that was to be packed onto the plane. Kiera made it sure we had everything we need, medical supplies, weapons, ammo, clothes as well as our everyday utensils. Despite the small look of the plane from the outside, the interior was wide and spacious, bright and clean, giving off the sterile similar to hospitals. Everything looked professionally maintained, the design looking more like a base than just a regular plane. Multiple compartments aboard, there was a slew of different rooms, from a meeting room to an on-board shooting range.

"Oh look, it's the greenhorn." The voice carried with it the usual sarcastic tone. Looking up, I saw two of the more stronger members of the Zanna Famiglia. Sitting atop one of the larger crates, The Angel of Life sat crossed-legged, his back hunched over in an extremely relaxed pose. In his hands was the usual combat dagger, another set of them running down his attire behind his jacket. By his side, Dante stepped into the room, his rifle in hand as always.

"...What is it now, Vito?" I retorted, slightly annoyed. Vito had always been the the one with the witty, cynical tongue, but most of the things he declared are actually the truth. Even when I stood up speaking to him, it felt difficult to maintain eye contact. The urge to just ignore him and walk away kept springing up within me. Every once in a while, my eyes shift to Dante, as if wary of his movements. Dante's eyes looked out out the window as he leaned against the walls at the side, as if his mind was unfocused. It brought forth many doubts in my mind.

"You seem capable enough, I only have one thing to ask of you..." Vito continued, as laid back as ever. Tracing his fingers against the blade of his dagger, he seemed to be trying his best to distract himself. " … You need to learn to be strong, to know pain and cruelty." At those words, his lazy eyes pierced into my soul with sharp glare. "The Boss has enough naivety for the rest of us."

"Don't talk that way about Amato!" Before I knew it, I burst out yelling after hearing his insults. I had seen Amato doing his best to protect him, so why is he saying things like this?

"Right now, you're just not strong enough." Those were his last words before he slipped out of the room with a snicker.

"You okay?" I must have been too clouded with thoughts to miss the sound of his steps, as Dante asks out in his calm, serious tone. As he did, he placed his right hand on my shoulders, only to have me pull away from his grasp. At that sight, his eyebrows furrow with anger, taking a step back.

"Look, you may have convinced Amato, but I still remembered what you did, what you tried to do..." Anger coming to me from the memories, I realized I had taken a stance involuntarily as I spoke my mind. Surprised, it took a while to calm myself down. "I'm keeping my eyes on you.." The warning came right after.

"I don't care about what you think about me, but do not jeopardize the missions." Dante replied back to me after hearing what I said, even when he did, he showed no reaction. His face was still calm, tinged with a tiny hint of anger. Immediately, I felt a sharp sense of fear, a claw crushing on my heart. His words felt like a threat. Fear and anger taking its toll, I quickly went out of the room and out of the plane itself.

"Sigh..." There was little I could do as the sunlight shine onto my eyes once more. Confusion had settled within me. Am I doing the right thing, pushing my suspicions on him like that? "Tsk. Am I still not strong enough?" I ask myself as I remembered the fear and anxiousness I felt, as Vito and Johann's words resonated at the back of my mind. As the soft, glaring light stretched across the empty field, I couldn't help but think back on what I had been doing the past few months. Training alone when Christmas drew near, following strictly to Kiera's routines whenever I could, was it all for naught? Compared to the others in battle, I didn't feel any change at all.

"You're on your way." Her voice came outta nowhere, calm, gentle, soothing. Turning around, my eyes met with the Boss of the Arcobaleno, the most powerful fortune-teller the world has to offer herself. "The knowledge of pain and cruelty will come with experience." She continued, a warm smile stretching across her face.

"So you're a mind reader now, Aria?" I retorted at the fact that those were the exact issues in my mind. Aria scratched her head as an embarrassed look appeared on her face. Still, her words had their own brand of magic, as it seemed to have driven away the wave of depression and doubt.

"Here, uncle Reborn sent this to me after I told him of the Zanna Famiglia." Aria went on, walking to my side. Wondering what it was, she tosses from her hands a small, metallic object that glistened in the light of the sun. Catching it in mid flight with my right hand, it turned out to be a crimson bullet. A small mark of a flame could be seen sculpted into the metal of the bullet itself. "He asked me to give it to you, specifically." Her words continued as I stared and wondered about my unexpected gift.

"What is it?" A question came out of my mouth that sounded a lot more stupid than I expected. Of course, I knew it was a bullet, but it couldn't have been just a bullet, there had to be something more to it.

"Think of it as a good luck charm. Uncle Reborn says he's interested to see what you do with it." Quick on her feet, Aria finished her sentence before leaving my side dancing.

Raising it up to the skies, the bullet gave me a small sense of assurance. The metallic red as well as the symbol of the flame at its side brought forth many questions. I wanted to think that I held a new power in the palm of my hand. Laughing the feeling off, the fact that I felt that way must mean that the charm's doing its job. With the piece of metal in hand, a strange affinity can be felt resonating within the bullet itself. Looking out to the empty, almost serene feel of the concrete airstrip, I grabbed on to the bullet tightly in my hand.

"Whoa, that's your plane, Aria?" Amato's voice snapped me back. Acting as a signal, I began making my way towards him. Together, we boarded the plane amidst Amato's cries of surprise. A few moments later, the plane started its flight with the roar of its engines, and before we knew it, we were soaring through the skies, towards my the land of my ancestors.

In my heart, I held on to the belief to keep on progressing my strength, to learn all there is to learn. Each milestone reached, a dozen more appeared, as I continued walking on the path to the right hand.

* * *

**Strange, with each new chapter, my word count gets higher and higher. I think I may have squeezed too much into this one chapter alone. The main goal was to give you all a feel on how Sergio's doing, his relationship with the rest of the Famiglia. As you can see, it isn't all that friendly with a few of them. Well, I can't wait for the next chapter already! Please, praise, comment or criticize my chapter!**


	45. Land Of The Rising Sun

**Author's Note:**

**All right, a little recap on the main story, we're currently at the last few gag chapters of the Reborn! Manga, a month or two before the Kokuyo Arc. The theme song of the next few Arcs is Boys and Girls by LM.C, as following the main story. All right, onwards, to the land of the rising sun!**

* * *

**Chapter 44: Land Of The Rising Sun**

**Okinawa, Japan.**

We stopped a few minutes ago, the rumbling of the engines had ceased. The interior of the plane was dark, the curtains drawn over the windows for hours. As I sat in my seat, calm and relaxed with my eyes closed, it struck me that silence had filled the room as opposed to the voice of my Famiglia and the bustle of activities they usually have. When the whole scene felt still for a little bit too long, I pushed my body off the seat as curiosity came over me. Whether it was instincts or not, I reached out for the door, and pushed.

Glaring, the rays of the sun pierced through the darkened room, each sliver of light banishing away the darkness. As the light shone into my eyes, it was so bright my palm went over my eyes without my control. Even then, my eyes sought to look beyond the light, what was hiding behind the bright, glaring shine. There was this sense of discovery I felt, as addicting it was, as I walked through the door.

"Ah... Hah... good morning!" I couldn't help but give out the words as I stretched my arms out, bathing in the warmth of the sun.

"Well, it's not really morning, but I can see where you're going..." Sergio's voice was fist thing I hear after the brightness settled. Slowly opening my eyes, I walked down the stairs onto the ground to see the rest of my Famiglia already out. Kiera and the others stood ready to welcome me, with luggage in their hands.

"Indeed, the trip was a bit longer than we expected." Kiera reported to me with an apologetic tone.

"Who cares, we're here, we're finally here! The birthplace of Anime! Hot-blooded J-rock filling the scenes! Flooding the world with their Manga stories, Japan!" Johann must have been rehearsing that line for quite a while now, as the words burst forth as if he couldn't keep it within him any longer. There was a glow in his eyes, pure excitement obvious from the light. It must be his first time out of Italy.

"Wow, it's so pretty here..." Aria commented as she scanned the surroundings, taking one gentle step after another. Following her eyes, a sea of pink came into sight, rows and rows of trees with small, pink leaves. They sway and danced to the rhythm of the breeze. The wind scattered them all around, their petals flicker and floated as they fell. It gave off a very serene feel.

"All right, okay, we'll need to reach the hotel soon." Sergio took the situation in hand rather quickly, taking the first steps towards where we needed to go. Most raised a brow, but I just followed with a smile. As we tread from the runway towards the terminal, admiring the surroundings as we did, everything felt new to us, but it was not necessarily bad.

Pushing myself ahead of the rest, I'm just glad I'm able to visit Japan with my Famiglia. A sense of happiness, regardless of how small it was, corrected my own thoughts. No, with my friends.

* * *

"Welcome to the Okinawa Monorail, we hope you you enjoy your experience here and have a pleasant day..." The announcers voice recited the words in English right after the Japanese version as we made our way into the famous line, our luggage dragging behind us. Much to Kiera's protest, I volunteered to carry my own luggage, with my two hands tied with the bags. I can't have her lugging around three huge bags all by herself. My Famiglia followed behind me, Dante and Vito looked around with curiosity, while Kiera looked like she was guilty of something. Is my own decision hurting her so badly?

The station itself was huge, the structure standing tall. The design modern, it looked nothing like the subways back home. The floors were so clean, it almost looked like they were glowing. It really struck me as technologically advanced, the place giving off futuristic feel. I guess they weren't kidding when they said technology in Japan is one of the best in the world. Looking down to the cities below, I saw a mix of buildings, skyscrapers and houses, filled with activity. The city was shining with a life of its own, complimented by its people. It felt different, but, strangely familiar.

"All right then, now we just have to wait for the next train..." I announced to the others, looking around the station. The only problem to the station was the crowd of people filling the scene. Within a few seconds into the morning, I almost lost sight of my Famiglia in the sea of faces.

"Get distracted, and the next thing you know, you'll be swept by the crowds. These places gets mighty crowded." Vito explained, one of the few sentences lacking his usual, sarcastic tone. He sounded like he experienced it before, which only made me wonder how he knew so much.

That was when I saw her, amidst the sea of business suits and trendy clothes, a girl in a white, gothic dress. Though the design reminded me of Kiera's outfit, hers was a lot more intricate, with pendants and necklaces hanging from her neck, a number of symbols embroidered onto her dress, and a pair of tiny wings sprouting from her back. In other words, it was flashier, and it had all but caught my attention.

"Wow..." Strangely enchanted, I begin moving towards her for a closer look. With that costume, she stood out of the crowds like sore thumb, but she didn't seem to be bothered at all. Her brown hair was lighter than mine, her fringe neatly combed to one side, her rather short hair only reaching her neck. Her big, wide eyes, full of light, were in a deep red. Perhaps her most striking feature besides her dress. She stood there waiting with a neutral expression on her face, but even from where I was, I could feel a sense of confidence exuding from her.

As her pupils moved to meet mine, I couldn't help but look away, embarrassed.

"S-sorry for staring..." Next thing I knew, I was already apologizing to her. No emotion was summoned from my actions, though her eyes kept on staring at me. I felt more and more difficult as each second passed.

"Hmph." With much apathy, she turned away a minute later, with her hair and her dress swaying with her movement. Left with a cold, cold shoulder, I was blatantly ignored after that moment. That was also when I realized I had been separated from my Famiglia by the crowd.

"Ah... darn it." I say the words when all attempts to find my Famiglia failed, followed by the arrival of the train. The only hope I had left was to reach the station we're going to, and meet them as we alight. As I was thinking and planning out what to do next, the crowd behind me pushed into me, stuffing me into the girl I was admiring before and into the trains itself. "H-hey! Stop pushing!" I yelled out only to have my words ignored, as the staff of the station continued pushing the crowd into the train.

Much to the girl's chagrin, I was stuck at her side, my body pressed against the opposite side of the doors. Crushed by the crowd and my bags, I could only wait it out as the doors closed behind me and the train started moving.

* * *

The seconds that flew by as I was pressed against the glass turned into minutes, as the train moved from one station to the next. The scene in the train, the sound of chatter, had died down a few seconds ago, now replaced by silence, a calm relaxing feel. Looking through the glass, I could see the cities below, filled with building I never seen before. At the train's zooming speed, the scenery would change from buildings to the sea, to mountains and forests, everything was breathtaking. It would have made me forgotten all about being crushed in the train if the sound of snores that came after didn't drew me back.

Turning back inside, I realized most of the passengers had in fact fallen asleep, the few others either listening to their music players or reading a book. Of course, I couldn't hold back the urge and turned to see what the girl was doing. In her pristine costume, she looked past the glass and admired the view as well, her attention never changing. She didn't seem the least bit tired like the others.

Compared to myself, she had secured a rather wide space for herself to stand, leaning against the walls at the corner. I didn't notice it before, but I gotta admit, up close she looked rather... well endowed. Even better than Kiera's and Gina's. Wait... what am I thinking? At the shock, I immediately turned to the other side, emotions overwhelming me, blushing red from the indecent thoughts.

I was left either too embarrassed or just too flustered to look at any girl at that moment. As the stations come and go, more and more people were pushed into the monorail like stuffing into a turkey on thanksgiving.

"Ugh..." The sound of the girl's voice a few minutes later, distinct as it was, grabbed my attention. "Uh.. Huh..." Definitely, she didn't sound very well. Looking towards her once more, I realized the once wide space she had was gone. She was as much pushed to the walls as I was, and the man behind her was still pushing his way way past her personal space.

In the dull, sleepy scene in the train, she kept a strong face as everything was happening to her. As her costume got ruffled, she tries her best to move away from the man. But when the man had his hand grabbing on to her by her chest, her movements were locked. A red tint flushed over her face at the touch, but she did not scream. With trembling hands, she reached out to pull away the stranger's touch.

That was when I realized I was already pushing my way through the crowd. But, I could only go so far before being stuck as well.

As I struggled, I watched as her hands were pushed aside by the strength of the adult. It was horrible, a painful feeling of helplessness, of allowing this thing to happen.

"Hey, watch it!" A stranger yells out as I pushed myself through him, forcing my way through. The thought of helping her got more and more desperate as each second passed. The sight was getting worse, and I wanted to stop it as soon as possible.

"Ow!" A girl cried out after I stepped on her foot, hopping to the side.

Come on, just a few more steps! Wading through the sleepy crowd, I finally reached her, and immediately locked my grip on the man's wrist, pulling it off the girl. Surprised as she was, confused with her eyes wide open, she nonetheless dodged to the side with her bag in hand. As the pervert's face came into light, I saw no regret, no shock, no guilt in his eyes. Pulling him to my side, anger flared in the light of his eyes instead. His utter disregard for the wrong he did shocked me for a second, but it was all he needed.

"Get away from me, kid!" He barked, and with a swing of his arms, pushed me down to the ground. Crashing onto the metal floor, I did my best to cushion my fall. I guess I overestimated my strength when I'm out of my Awakening. It didn't really hurt much, though. Like a monster after his prey, he went back and resumed his hunt, trapping the girl in the corner. Surprised that no one came to help, I looked around to see the scene still as dead as before.

Just as he was about to grab the girl again, another hand reached in and pulled it behind his back in a flash. That was when I saw Sergio's glare as he pulled the pervert out into the open, rage in his eyes.

"What the hell are you doing?" He roared out in blistering fury. His Bushido code could never accept what was happening, so of course he was angry. Behind him, Aria and the rest of my Famiglia popped out from the crowd, everyone looking crossed and disgusted.

"Tokyo Station Tokyo Station. Rail transfers to to the Tokyo Monorail as well as access to the Haneda International Airport can be found at this station." Out of nowhere, the announcement for our destination rang off, and the train came to a halt. The doors flew open soon after.

"You're coming with us!" Sergio declared, dragging the man right out of the train despite his heels digging into the floor. Much to his struggling and yelling, he was no match for Sergio's strength.

* * *

**Ota, Tokyo, Japan**

Thanks to my Famiglia's extremely detailed and organized assessment of the situation, as well as Kiera's powerful wordplay, the security was quickly convinced of the crime, and the pervert was soon apprehended by the police. After we the whole thing was done, we found ourselves back at the tracks, waiting for the next train on the Tokyo Monorail. This time however, my Famiglia made it a point to literally stick to my side. Where I sat, my friends would take their seat around me. I got lucky, but of course, nobody wanted to be me to be separated from my Famiglia again. The crowd also returned, this time bigger than before.

Looking at Sergio, he had an extremely annoyed look on his face, constantly tapping his foot on the clean, metal floor of the station. I could see him grit his teeth in frustration.

"Uh... You all right, Sergio?" I couldn't help but asks out after seeing him so upset.

"Sigh... I'm all right. It's just... hours into Japan and this happened. Not what I was expecting..." At Sergio's confession, he relaxed his shoulders as I realized why he was so annoyed. Certainly, I would never want to see these things happen in Italy, in my city. It's natural to be disgusted, annoyed and confused. It must hurt more for Sergio, cause I remember how he said the Japanese hold their values close, and always follow them.

Out of boredom, my steps took me to the girl once more. She was standing in the exact same position she did in the last station, and after just a bit of adjusting, her costume looked as stunning as it was before the incident. If anything, I at least wanted to see if she was okay... and get her name. I walked to her side, my Famiglia right behind me.

"Hey, um... my name's Amato, Amato Zanna. You okay? You're not... hurt, are you?" I asked out awkwardly, to my own surprise. Up close, her red eyes looked calm, strong, complimenting her hair color. To put it simply, she's really pretty, so much that I got nervous the moment I stepped up to her.

"... You're too nice. Why?" Those were her first words as she looked away after hearing my question. Even so, I could see her face turning really red as she remembered what happened, whether it was from frustration or embarrassment. Obviously, she has not gotten over the incident, no matter how much she wanted to hide it.

At a few chuckles from my Famiglia, I gave her my reply.

"Is... that wrong? I can't be too nice?" I admit, the words came without much thought. People always asks me the same question, but I never see the reason behind it.

Suddenly, the frill of the costume flutter past my eyes as something extremely soft was pressed against me, followed by a faint, sweet scent. My eyes were wide open as I realized the girl had jumped on me, giving me a big hug. Her breasts pushed onto my body and I could feel how soft they were, and at that moment, it felt like everything went white. All my thoughts were stopped dead in their tracks. As the time felt like it stopped, the girl hugged me harder as the seconds passed.

"...Thanks." She whispered into my ear, a soft, sweet voice unlike her tone before. It melted me, I think. The relaxing touch only lasted a few seconds before she pushed me to the ground, catching me off guard as I was still frozen from the sensation.

"Ow..." My voice of pain was low and unfeeling, as I stared back at her with wide eyes, still mesmerized by what happened.

"And that was for your failure!" She gave out with a wry smile on her face, turning back to the tracks.

"Hmph, Lord Amato?" Kiera called out to me as she helped me up, bringing me back, slightly annoyed about what just happened. Also, at that moment, the train had arrived, forcing me to get myself together. As we walked into the Tokyo Monorail, we left the station with a lighthearted feel to the situation, with my Famiglia teasing me about what just happened. At a slight glance to the side, I realized the girl was taking the same train as us as well.

"Hey again, I... never got your name." For whatever reason, I blabbered out the question. I guess I really wanted to hear her name. After persisting for a few more minutes, she finally answered to my smile.

"...It's Hinata, okay?" She gave out her name like it was a difficult thing to do, breaking off eye contact and looking away as she did. For some reason, it looked really cute.

"Uh, uh, not good, Amato. Flirting with another girl? You do know I'm telling Regina about this, right?" Sergio casually gave out as he got to my side. Apparently, he had been watching the whole thing.

"N-no! I-I'm just being friendly! Don't tell Gina!" I cried out, throwing my hands all around. Sergio burst out laughing as the train started moving, the scene bringing a smile to my Famiglia's faces. It even made Hinata chuckle. Together, we continued our train ride towards our destination. Whether I overreacted or not, amidst my cries, I was glad my Famiglia wasn't taking the whole mission too seriously. As we glided past multiple sights and cities, I wondered just what other surprises we'll see next.

* * *

**Well, that certainly took some time to finish! I hope you guys enjoy the chapter, and I also hope that the scenario I wrote is at least a bit believable. The introduction of a new character, do you guys know who she is? Whether or not she has a role in this arc, you'll have to wait for the next chapter to find out! I promise I'll try to get them up sooner!**


	46. Field Of Autumn Leaves

**Author's Note:**

**Doesn't this latest arc feel refreshing? I haven't checked but it's been about seven chapters already, and the story's just getting started! Crazy things are gonna happen to the Zanna Famiglia in Japan, some you might have never expected. Let's hope the progression is good!**

* * *

**Chapter 45: Field Of Autumn Leaves**

**Akihabara, Tokyo, Japan.**

By the time we reached our destination, it was already late in the afternoon, with the golden sun, with its faint light, beating down on us as it began to set. I pushed each of my steps forwards, trying my best to ignore the boredom by looking around, staring at the sights as I looked up to see two great rows of buildings. At the bustling sight, I suddenly got hit by this feeling of familiarity, but I couldn't quite catch what it meant. Certainly, Kiera told us how crowded it would be, but words could not describe how many people we saw as we entered the city. It made the crowd we saw at the stations look tiny in comparison.

"Are we there yet?" A question that had been asked a lot of times already, Johann was the only one who continued his by-the-minute questioning. I couldn't quite blame him for it, though. The bright, stylish, modern streets looked spic and span compared to our stone-paths back home, and the tall, storied buildings were definitely a dazzling sight, standing tall and strong as opposed to our street-houses back home.

But, the sights could only impressed us for so long. Hm, kind of think of it, Dante and Vito never even looked impressed at all.

"Right, And here we are." Kiera declared as we stopped our tracks in front of tall building, which looked less flashy than the others that stood in Akihabara, but its chic, stylish and modern design, represented by a strong red panel hanging in a white wall with neon lighting definitely left quite an impression. The multiple glass and metal panes that was placed neatly from one side to the other made this one building stand out from the others. Stepping through the sleek, sliding glass doors, a breeze washed over us, strangely warming us up from the winter wind that occasionally left me shivering outside.

"The Akihabara Washington Hotel." Kiera told us as we wondered into the lobby, admiring the blend of cultures subtly used in its design. Despite being Winter, groups of people, whom I assume were tourists, filled the room itself. My first time in a hotel, fascination came over me as I found my eyes and my steps taking me all around the place as Kiera, Dante and Sergio took care of the booking of rooms.

"Yep, that's right. Sell all of those we had in hand, and buy the ones that just surfaced." A familiar voice drew my attention, surprising me as I recognized it. "Usual procedure, then?" I turn to see Hinata speaking on the phone in a corner, her dazzling costume's presence dwarfing all others in the lobby. Seeing her for the second time today already, I didn't know if feeling happy was the right thing or not. "Another profit." She mumbled to herself before noticing me a few feet away.

"Hey, Hinata!" I called out her name with a smile while walking to her side. It was strangely exciting to see her again.

"Zanna?" A one word answer from her was all I got as she raised her brow, her face still passive.

"Are you booking a room here as well?" Curiosity got to me as I asked out, turning our conversation into a little game to see how to get her to show her smile.

"C'mon Amato, time to go to our rooms!" Sergio yelled out from the reception area before dragging the luggage towards the elevators, with the rest of my Famiglia following his steps.

"Well then..." I gave out as I turn back to Hinata after hearing what Sergio said, grabbing my luggage tight in my hands. "It's nice seeing you again! Even if it's only been a few hours!" I exclaimed with a smile before trotting back towards the elevators myself, the bags dragging along with me. With every two steps, I glanced back to see Hinata staring at me as I hurried. Looking down to the ground as if deep in thoughts, Hinata's blank eyes brought forth a small tint of red to her cheeks. As the elevator door closes, the last thing I saw was Hinata shaking away what she was feeling.

"My room, my room..." I muttered out the words as we walked on, an endless row of doors in a sparkling corridor, my bags dragging behind me. Dante and Vito had already went to their rooms, leaving Aria, Sergio, Kiera and myself searching for ours. As Kiera stopped in front of hers and unlocked the door, I followed behind her as she walked, only to have the door slammed to my face as it closed in front of me.

"Ow..." I cried out as I rubbed my nose. My response only produced a face-palm from Sergio.

"Um.. Amato.. I know you.. um.. We can't share a room!" Kiera's stammering turned into an all out yell before silence fills the hallway. When I realized what I was about to do, my face flushed crimson, heat blurring my eyes.

"Wow... you're so.. direct, Amato.." Aria gave out as a tinge of red surfaced on her own face, her voice slowly dying off as she was surprised.

"Aha ha ha ha ha" Johann's laughter broke the silence. "I give an A for effort, too bad it failed though!" Johann's words popped out in between his laughs.

"N-no! I-I wasn't thinking! I didn't realize!" I whined, blaming myself for the stupid actions that led to the misunderstanding. Sergio only shook his head and sighed before handing me the keys to my own room, two rooms after Kiera's, down at the end of the corridor. With the keys in hand, the four of us finally went our separate ways to our own rooms. My face stayed red for a few more minutes as Johann's laughter could still be heard even as I closed my doors.

* * *

A few hours later, in the orange glow of the setting sun that washed over the big, blue sky, I had already unpacked all that needed, and yet, the stuff that happened lingered on in my mind, my cheeks still a bit red. Looking up to the sky through the big, stylish windows, I tried to get myself distracted in the sea of light that was the sky and numerous puffy clouds that floated gently across. Strange, if no one told me, I would've never believed it was Wintertime in Japan right now.

"I'll need to apologize to Kiera." I told myself as I stared into the mirror, adjusting my clothes after my bath. A simple look, a regular blue T-shirt over a white long sleeved one, over a usual pair of brown pants and a pair of leather shoes. They should be enough to keep the cold away, I hope. Of course, I had Fenris tucked at the back, he should out of sight.

"Ding Dong!" Suddenly, the doorbell went off, taking me to the door.

As I opened the door, her light-brown hair first came to my sight, followed by her deep, red eyes. It was strange at first, her elaborate costume replaced by a red long sleeved hoodie that scrunched around her elbows and beige pants that stopped below her knees. Even as she stood, her arms behind her back, her eyes looking to the sides, I could still recognize her. The air of familiarity was still there.

"Hinata? What are you doing here?" I asked as soon as I was calm enough to. Indeed, I don't get visits from cute girls like her very often. At least, not when I just met them a few hours ago, no matter how much I smiled.

"I thought I could show you guys around town? Akiba being my hometown and all..." She gave out her reason in a soft, gentle tone, sounding a bit reluctant. As she did, she started twisting the tip of her left shoe into the carpet. "D-don't get the wrong idea, it's not like I w-want to hang out with you guys or anything! I-I just want to properly thank you guys for helping me earlier today." She started stammering a little as she continued, blushing a little.

Looking at how cute she was as she waited for my reply, her apathy as well as the act of ignoring me from before seemed like they came from a completely different person.

"All right then, I accept your offer on behalf of my Famiglia!" I replied with a smile, giving her a thumbs-up. Whether she was annoyed or amused by the sight, she turned away and crossed her arms, her face turned ever so slightly that I couldn't see it. "Awesome!" I exclaimed as I walked out of my room, closing the doors and locking them up. One by one, the doors to the rooms beside mine opened, and my Famiglia stepped out, wondering what the commotion was.

Each member, as I saw it, was sporting his or her own new look.

Sergio had ditched his white jacket for a more form-fitting henley shirt, gray in color with sleeves that stretch to his wrists. His wristbands were also gone, replaced by two red wristbands. Worn over his legs were another pair of white pants with a nice pair of shoes.

Johann popped out with a baggy jersey on, green in color with white linings, retaining the sporty feel he had from the tracksuit he usually wears. He had a pair of windbreakers which ended with his usual pair of sneakers.

Dante walked out with a simple blue dress shirt whose color matched his hair with a black blazer wore over it, unbuttoned, giving off a very informal feel. He also wore a pair of jeans with two belt around his waist, as well as his usual fedora on his head, only this time, it's white in color.

Vito dragged his feet out with a black combat boots on, as well as a pair of cargo pants with camouflaged design all over it, and a windbreaker jacket instead of his usual flight-jacket. The jacket, with its light brown color, the hood pushed behind his head, looked a bit more warmer than his usual jacket, I guess.

Aria appeared with a pearl white overcoat on, orange linings running down her outfit with black gloves over each hand. Her legs ended with a pair of white boots that seemed a bit on the frilly side.

The last one who came out got everyone's eye wide with surprise. Kiera stumbled her way out, looking nervous as she fumbled the headband of her maid outfit, the only thing of her maid outfit that remained. Kiera had put on a pink T-shirt on, complete with a necklace around her neck. As I looked to her arms, I noticed a black, studded wristband over her left wrist. She also had a tight, and rather short leather skirt on with a studded belt, as well as her usual black stockings complete with black knee high boots. She slowly made her way to my side, the rest of my Famiglia lost for words as their eyes followed.

"Um.. Amato? H-How do I look?" Kiera mumbled out the words softly, her eyes looking to the ground as the red hue flushed all over her face. I was stunned as I stared at her. She looked confident, and cute. Her image struck me as a strong girl of her own right, but that was it. The thought of how feminine Kiera was kept screaming out in my head, snatching away all the thoughts that formed.

Before I realized it, my head was feverish as my vision blurred a little from the blush that appeared all over my face.

"Uh.. You.. uh.. look really nice!" I gave out the first sentence I could form from my blank mind, forcing a smile from my stunned face. Johann and Aria chuckled at my reaction while Sergio sighed once more, shaking his head. Dante and Vito just looked away from the awkward moment. Together, we began walking towards the elevator as I explained what Hinata and I were talking about.

* * *

By the time we step onto the streets, the blanket of night had fallen upon Akihabara. We strolled down the street, enjoying the cold winter wind that blew down hard on us. The streets were lit up in the night, courtesy of all the neon lights present form the various stores that filled the sides of each road. The crowds from afternoon were still there, if not bigger than before. It seems vehicles were a rare sight in Akihabara, with its paths and roads used by the people more than anything else.

"So how well do you know your hometown?" I asked out in between my steps as curiosity got me, looking towards Hinata. Out of her costume, she blended in perfectly among the other teenagers that filled the streets.

"I know the name of every shop in town, their owners as well as every short-cut possible..." She replied as she walked on in front of us, leading us without ever looking back.

"Wow..." Aria gave out. Indeed, Hinata's statement left most of us impressed. I think we were just glad we found a local to show us around.

With a sudden twist on her heels, she turned to face us as a small smile appeared on her face.

"You guys haven't seen the night-life in Akiba, right? It's not something you should miss!" She exclaimed proudly. From her words, how happy she looked when ever she spoke of her hometown as opposed to her usual apathetic look, I realized just how much she loves the town. As she realized just how she acted, she quickly turned back around, continuing her steps. The bustle of life continued on through the night as chatter and laughter can be heard from the crowds of people walking on the streets.

"Welcome to the Field..." As I jogged to her side, Hinata muttered the words after she calmed herself.

"What field?" I asked out the question as it popped into my mind.

"The Field Of Autumn Leaves."

* * *

**What do you guys think of the Hinata? Does her personality feel realistic? I definitely hope so! I'm thinking of bringing some action into this arc, it's definitely been a while since the Zanna Famiglia faced off a dangerous threat, so keep your eyes open for the next chapter! NaNoWriMo's coming up as well, are my fellow writer's out there ready?**


	47. A Day In Akiba

**Author's Note:**

**All right, let's do this real quick, NaNoWriMo may have hands tied to my back, but I'm still going to update new chapters for The Boy, The Fang and The Gun every week! Let's just hope I can keep this up!**

* * *

**Chapter 46: A Day In Akiba.**

Out the window, the night sky was gone, now replaced with one so bright I had to raise my arm to shield my eyes. Feeling strangely familiar despite being in a hotel room, I start the day with a beat to my steps, walking towards the door. As my finger touched the doorknob, I wondered what were being planned today, Kiera would have the idea, she always do. A slight growl from my stomach convinced me that whatever it was, breakfast would probably be the priority. With that in mind, I turned the knob and walked through the door.

"Hey, you're up." Sergio appeared from his door as well, surprised that I managed to get up as early as him.

"Hey, I'm always early!" I retorted, as was the natural thing to say. The Boss can't be known as some guy who oversleeps, right? "Hey, you guys up?" I called out to the others, gently knocking on their doors. Indeed, this whole experience feels so foreign to me. I never did any of this back home, but I didn't know why, I just felt like it was needed. A few minutes later, Aria came out with a bounce to her steps, while Johann stumbled past his door with shaky steps.

"Aw, I thought I could sleep in a bit..." He whined in between his yawns. He made his way towards us with shaky steps, as if he could crash down to the floor and fall asleep at any moment.

"Hm? Kiera's not in her room?" I wondered as she didn't appear, and it didn't seem like there's anyone in the room. When I went to check Vito and Dante's, they gave no response as well. Standing outside at the hallway, I wondered what could so important that they left their room without informing me? With Kiera gone, I was left dumbfounded about leaving for breakfast, cause we had no way of contacting her. When Sergio pulled out his phone to call her, he could not get through.

"Lord Amato, I am sorry for not responding immediately when you called." Her serious voice coming through the door, Kiera finally responded in her usual serious tone. As I thought the room was empty, I jumped when I heard.

"Oh.. Um.. I was just wondering if we could all get some breakfast together?" I blurted out my reason as I was still recovering from the surprise.

Kiera only replied after a few seconds of silence.

"... I'm sorry, Lord Amato. I'm afraid I'm rather occupied today." Hearing her decline was a bit disappointing, but I knew whatever that had her occupied was important, important enough for her to leave my protection to another. "Sergio, I entrust Amato's safety to you, guard him with your life." She commanded behind the door.

"That goes without saying, Sergio complied, giving a small bow towards the voice.

"Hey, we're just going out for breakfast! There's no danger!" I exclaimed as the scene got a bit too serious. "All right then, tell Vito and Dante for me, all right, Kiera? Bye!" I gave my farewell, strangely, without seeing Kiera's face, as my steps began to walk towards the elevator. With nothing else holding us back, we made our way down to the lobby.

Before we stepped outside, however, we came across another familiar face.

"Hinata?" I called out to her. Indeed, Hinata stood beside the main doors, her mind occupied as she seemed deep in thought. When her eyes caught us, she was slightly taken aback. Before she said anything, I popped out the question. "We're going out for breakfast, wanna come with?"

* * *

By the time we were out, the sun was already hanging high in the sky, bringing its warm, bountiful glow down to us, we walked down the wide, open street. It was a particularly warm winter day, and that itself was a huge welcome, bringing a small smile on my face. Yesterday night we saw how crowded Akihabara was, with events happening all around town despite the clock ticking pass nine. Today, however, we were trekking the streets for a more different purpose, to curb the soft rumbling in our stomachs.

I shift my eyes to see Hinata walking a few feet away from us, in her another highly detailed, extremely flashy costume, despite agreeing to join us today as well. Her costume, as she explained, consist of elements of science and fantasy, melded together in perfect harmony. I didn't quite understand what she meant when her words came with much pride. There was one similarity to her previous costume, though. Her necklaces and accessories remained, exactly where they were before. It made me wonder if this costume came from the same franchise as the previous one.

Our footsteps stopped in front of a rather bland looking shop, or rather, a very traditional one. Fancy colors and mascot characters were absent in its design, unlike most of the other shops in Akihabara. Is this the restaurant?

"Yep, here's the place." Hinata's words confirmed my thoughts, as we stepped through the curtains that Hinata says is the entrance. The place opened up to a simple, relaxing scene. Wooden benches and tables filled the sides of the restaurant, with the counter near the right end of the room. Although there doesn't seem to be any design or style to the place at first glance, upon a closer look, I realized subtle hints of traditional design can be found all over the place. A few seconds standing there already felt like the trip to the restaurant was worth it. Sergio, Johann and Aria behind me was equally excited, smiles stretched across their faces.

As we made our way from the entrance to the counter, a waitress popped out to greet us, surprising us as she just appeared out of nowhere.

"Welcome to the Miyagi Beef House! May I take your order?" The vibrant girl with bright eyes exclaimed with much spirit and passion, impressing us all. Dressed in a simple uniform of what I assumed is the traditional attire for cooks in Japan, she began asking and chatting with us, before a she jumped up to her feet. "Y-!" Before she could finish her outburst, not even her first word, Hinata grabbed her by the mouth, and pulled her to the sides, leaving us wondering why she would do such an unusual thing.

From my end, I saw Hinata instructing the waitress on something. The girl, though surprised and disoriented from the sudden tug, immediately nodded to what seemed like very specific orders. I wondered why she was so compliant with Hinata. Maybe she's a friend of hers?

"Hey, hey, this is it! The eating challenge!" Johann's voice snapped my eyes towards him, and at his constant shouts, the rest of us made our way towards him. He was standing beside the counter, pointing at the giant sign that was placed at the left end. There it wrote of a challenge, to finish a hundred bowls of Gyudon, freshly cooked beef atop a bowl of steaming, white rice, and get the rest of the week's meals for free. Finally realizing what Johann has been so excited about, I can't say I was surprised.

"All right, guys. Hinata told me all about it. You guys want to take the challenge, correct?" Before we knew it, the waitress girl popped up behind us once more, her smile now wider than ever. Still taken aback by how she kept doing that, we were led to the tables by her smart words and bubbly personality. The table felt really nice, the whole place gave off a peaceful aura that was perfect for eating. The wooden benches and tables were very comfortable much to our surprise.

"So... You all ready for this?" I asked out to the others one last time before I made the confirmation for the order.

"Yeah, I always wanted to give these things a try!" Sergio exclaimed, raising his arm up in a confident manner.

"Hmph, I always go by my word." Hinata declared while closing her eyes. Her confidence still stood tall, I see. Her accessories dangled as she turned to the side, arms crossed.

"Um.. Yeah, I'll try my best!" Aria finally gave in despite being reluctant when we posed the idea. Of course, I wasn't expecting her to gorge herself, we just wanted her to be a part of this challenge. Feeling a bit bad for getting her into this, I turn my eyes to the last person, one whom I probably didn't need an answer from.

"Why are you even asking?" Johann cried out, one look and I could see he was getting impatient. Ha ha, he must have been thinking about it ever since last night, when we saw the shop already closed for the night. He broke down when he saw it, it was as if his spirit was blown away by the cold wind, leaving him all depressed. I thought it strange when he recovered this morning, though. So that's why he immediately cried out for us to go to this place when we were deciding.

"Okay then, will it be as a group or alone?" The waitress asked out politely, her cheerfulness not dying down one bit.

"Group!"

"Alone!"

Shocked at the odd one out, all of us turned to Johann in confusion. Did he seriously thought we were all going to take the challenge on our own? That would mean we would need to finish five hundred bowls by the end of the day! Johann only shrugged his shoulders when we glared at him, with a strangely innocent look on his face. Sergio was the least disturbed one out of all of us, and despite the looking like he had something to say, he pushed it away and put a smile back on his face.

* * *

So after an hour or so, I laid my hands out, and placed the half finished bowl onto the table. The feelings in my hands were sluggish, slow with all manner of dexterity gone. My eyes followed the number of plates already finished in front of me. One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine and ten, counting the last one in my hand as I pushed the meat and rice into my mouth. I can't say it was the most pleasant feeling. The smell drifting off from the Gyudon, though fragrant, was starting to sicken me by the seventh bowl. The breaks in between only seemed to grow as another rumbling came from my stomach, this time begging me to stop.

"Ugh..." I find myself whining out as the rumbling continued. Our efforts had even drawn in quite the crowd, people young and old staring right at us as we took the challenge, and that didn't make it any easier to swallow. I guess it must be rare for people to take the challenge. Stopping for yet another break, I slowly scanned across the table to see how the others were doing.

Sergio gulped down by the bowls by the mouthful, never stopping. In fact, every time he sees how Johann was doing, he only rushes even faster. In front of him was about twenty bowls, and his speed doesn't seem to be slowing down anytime soon. Looking at him, I wondered had he always had such a big appetite, or did the training these past few months produced such hunger?

On the other side, Aria and Hinata were taking their time, savoring each bite. Despite their generally slow movements, they're starting to catch up to me, having already finished eight bowls each. At another gulp, Hinata completes her ninth. They had me watching with widened eyes, as I couldn't believe they could eat so much.

The most commotion came from Johann's side, though. The bulk of the crowd stood in front of him, there were cries of surprise and disbelief coming from them. Three of the cooks from the shop had also came out to see Johann's little act. Johann chews down on his bites at an unbelievable speed, and despite how fast he was eating, he seems to be enjoying every little taste that touched his tongue. Every once in a while, he would gulp down one whole bowl, inciting a large surprise from his audience. I saw in front of him multiple stacks of bowl, around six stacks of ten. It seems he had already devoured sixty bowls.

"Awesome, this is completely different from what I expected, the trip here was totally worth it!" He roared out with a smile, surprising me with the fact that he still has the energy to make such a cheerful comment. I was about to drop dead at my seat. With no intention of losing to everyone else though, my fingers picked up the spoon and started pushing the food into my mouth once more.

" He's not even tired yet! At this rate, we'll run out of ingredients for today!" The cooks cried out, panicking as they watched Johann's rampage. Soon, their fascination changed to fear and anticipation, they were waiting for Johann to stop. As I got distracted by the cries and shouts coming from the cooks and the crowds, something big wrenched my throat, like a hand closing into a fist, the muscles around it squeezed hard to get the lump out of my throat, but that only made it more difficult to breathe.

"Cough! Co-cough! Argh!" I cried out when the sensation remained even after several seconds. The sound of my bowl and utensils striking the table made me realized I had them thrown down. One hand to my throat, it felt extremely unpleasant, control of my own body seemed to be fading away at the stress. I shut my eyes to calm myself down, and the next thing I saw was the wooden table as I struck my own chest multiple times.

By that time, the sound from everything else was all gone, my hearing robbed from me, not that I cared so much about it. My only focus was the grinding pain coming from my throat, as well as the lack of air. Sweeping and throwing my hands out, I think I broke a few bowls on the floor. Next thing I knew, I had stumbled out of my seat, my arms supporting my legs, preventing my body from crashing to the floor. My vision blurs and wavers, and when the foggy white cleared, I saw Sergio and the others standing up, waving their hands to get my attention, and panic slowly emerging from the light of their eyes.

With quick steps, Johann got behind me and started pushing up my ribs with his arms around me, performing the Heimlich maneuver. Was it supposed to help? Cause with each push it got more and more difficult to breathe, the muscles around my body were wrecked by a shocking, heavy pain that rendered them immobile. Instinctively, I pushed away the force, breaking free from his grasp.

Was I going to die? But there's so many things left that I had to do! I have to find my father! I have to lead my Famiglia! Am I going to just leave them behind? No way! I cannot be that selfish!

Forcing all of my willpower, I returned my vision to clarity, and soon my hearing returned as well. The public's concern surprised me, as I force the lump in my throat out once more. Slamming my fists on the table, I used the pain to keep me conscious, as well as to distract myself from the difficulty of the task. My friends called out to me, I could feel everyone's worry, and I felt bad for making them feel that way. When one punch on the solid wood wasn't enough, I used all of my strength to do another, with only the single-minded goal of surviving pulsing in my mind, the undying will pushing me through.

"Argh! Cough!" I finally coughed it out. The object was forced out, a bronze colored ring covered with rice. Panting, I felt like fainting, but my body refused to fall.

"Drink! Get 'im a drink!" Sergio yelled out desperately, I saw him calling out to one of the cooks. As the exhaustion grew, the pain slowly died down, and I felt like going to sleep. Immediately, one of those white dressed cooks brought a cup to my mouth. My vision had already started to blur as I relaxed a bit.

"Gulp."

I gulped down the clear water without a second thought. It's cooling feel was a welcome, and instantly raised my thirst. After the ordeal, I felt like I could gulp down gallons of it. In the man's hands was the bottle, in plain white porcelain. On reflex, my body snatches it, and I begin drowning myself with the water, ridding my throat of the heat that was produced from the struggle before. The taste, perhaps magnified or imagined by the workings of my mind, was extremely sweet. It felt very much like a victory drink, having won the duel for life and death.

When I finally opened my eyes once more, eager to see my friends. My sense of balance gave way. A dizzy spell immediately assaulted me, both physically and mentally. Just standing there felt like the most difficult thing in the world. Looking down, my hand was raised to my forehead almost automatically, rubbing it in hopes of clearing the shakiness.

When I found it useless, I push my eyes open and my head up again, hoping to find out what was happening. The crowd seemed surprised, and a few seconds later the many people dispersed. With my blurry vision and distorted hearing, I could not exactly make out what was happening. Body tilting and wobbly, I watched as Sergio and the others turned to some commotion, facing the entrance of the restaurant. Just what is happening, why was I feeling this way? Nothing made sense, it seems another problem surfaced after I recovered from the choking. Yelling could be heard, I think, the voices of the public crowd gasped in horror.

Aria, her blue eyes and sharp chin the only thing I could make out, called out to me, shaking my body to help me get a grip. Every moment felt like I could slip into darkness right there.

_Ba-dump. Ba-dump. Ba-dump._

Soon, the only thing ringing through my ears was the sound of my own beating heart. The light from the entrance as the door was pushed open was so bright, blinding in fact. I must have fell, as I found myself on the floor, my weight crushing on my elbows. Five figures, dark standing amidst the glow of the light, approached me. Somehow, their steps echoed the sound of death. Johann and Sergio jumped in front of me, only to be tossed aside. Just as I couldn't hold my eyes open any longer, a hooded figure pulled me to his face, and all I could see was the shadow cast from his hood before the sleep overwhelmed me.

* * *

**Oh yeah, the end of another chapter and the start of some action! Who are those who appeared in the moment of crisis? I feel like this chapter is slightly lacking, maybe because I rushed through it. I can't wait for the action to start! Tell me what you think in your reviews! Back to NaNoWriMo!**


	48. The Search For The Feather

**Author's Note:**

**Phew, taking a break here once more to bring you guys another chapter of the story! Before I delve into what struck Amato and his friends in the restaurant, did any of you find it strange when Kiera rejected the offer to go out with Amato? Even though the Boss's safety is above all else? This chapter takes place right after that, as we find out exactly what she planned to do!**

* * *

**Chapter 47: The Search For The Feather**

**Inner Feelings.**

When the footsteps could no longer be heard, a tinge of worry was accompanied with the beat of my heart, my I could only push it away. I leaned against the back of the door, its fine sculpted wooden surface cool and strong, from thee, the rays of the sun, so warm and bright, was glaring as it shone into my room. For a moment, I found myself fidgeting the studded wristband I worn over my wrist, and contemplated whether my decision was the right one. When the thought of Lord Luciano and the Famiglia came into mind, I knew it had to be done. I only hoped nothing dangerous would struck Lord Amato today.

Adjusting my hooded robe in front of the mirror, making sure my shield was properly concealed, I pulled out from my pocket a picture. On it depicts the object we came to Japan for, a jewel, no wider than three inches, emblazoned with design, attached to chains and fashioned as a necklace or a pendant. Right, though we might just be acting on a hunch, it was all the lead we ever got.

When ready, my hands pushed the doors wide open, and upon stepping out of the room, Dante and Vito appeared from theirs as well. Armed and ready, I met up with the two of them in the corridor, a serious glint in all of our eyes. I'm glad they understand the importance of the mission for today.

"All right, here's the all the information we currently have on hand about the object. We need to track it down and find out where it is currently residing." My command was clear as I passed on to the two of them a folder each, containing notes and pictures of said item. Suddenly, Vito's eyes droop with a sudden sense of boredom and annoyance.

"I don't get it, why can't we get everyone to do this? The Boss and that greenhorn should not be frolicking around Akihabara, enjoying the sights!" The Angel Of Life whined in cynical sense, clearly annoyed and frustrated at today's turn of events. Perhaps he thought it unfair that I was pushing all the work onto the three of us.

"... It's because other than this vision Lord Amato had been getting, we have no real evidence that the object is still present here in Japan. I cannot put Lord Amato up to the task until we have more definite answer as to where the object currently is." I explained with a stern look in my eyes, the the words sounded selfish in their own rights. As Vito listened, his irritation rose ever so slightly, to the extent of pulling out his combat dagger and swinging it around to vent his emotions.

"So we are to search high and low in the Field of Autumn Leaves based on information derived from a vision birthed from the dreams of the Boss?" Dante calmly questioned, and despite how ridiculous the words sounded, his asking of the question felt extremely genuine. Perhaps he only wanted to confirm his thoughts.

"... Yes." I calmly replied, as there was no point in lies. Only the truth will have to suffice.

"Please, Vito. I require your assistance for such a task. I know the object is here, and I have full confidence that the three of us will find it." I asked out pleading, my eyes staring at Vito with an intent look, hoping for his approval. Whatever it takes, we must secure the object, or at the very least, find information on its location, who currently holds it in their hands. It is vital to the Zanna Famiglia. Vito looked at me for a good amount of time, before giving out a big sigh, dropping his shoulders.

"All right, Kiera, but you owe me for this one. We better find something by the end of the day, I would hate to see this turn into some wild goose chase." He proclaimed as a small smile stretched across my face. With our objective decided, our goal clear we made our way towards the elevator leading to the lobby. As I walked at Vito's side, the smile I had on my face was difficult to remove, and it bothered Vito whenever he saw it, even as much as to make him say if he knew I would smile like that just because of what he said, he would have outright declined. Dante accompanied us with a slight chuckle from his side.

All in all, I was relieved that Vito didn't refuse the mission, and excited to get started, considering the vast city we had to cover.

* * *

When my steps brought me to the bustling streets of Akihabara itself, I was flustered. Never had I seen a city so filled with life, the laughter and chatter of people drowned out everything else, and the sea of bodies walking around produced the monotonous feel where one gets overwhelmed. Calmly I took one step after another, my hood down and gently supported by the wind. It felt strange, traversing the roads out of my usual maid uniform. It took seconds before my features captured the sight and curiosity of many guys that once had their eyes glued to the stores and product from the sides of the street.

Some of them were hit with surprise, and left with an impressed look in their eyes, while others scoffed and turned around the moment they caught sight of me. Indeed, I have heard of the prejudice the Japanese would give to foreigners when they see them, though the reports had said that such behaviors had died down dramatically over the years. Perhaps I should have Vito and Dante by my side when I came here.

"Whoa! Look at her, is she one of the cosplayers? Her blond hair looks stunning!" A random guy from the streets cried out in excitement, and I could feel heat welling up to my cheeks from the praises he gave me. Realizing such attention could hinder me, I tried to push them away while I continued my way through the streets.

We had separated, the usual tactic to divide and conquer. We each decided to cover a part of Akihabara in order to meet the goal of covering every person as well as every one of the buildings that filled the city. Looking up to the sky at the central district, the the two huge rows of buildings that pushed out to the horizons indeed matched the description of which Lord Amato described his dreams. A city of this magnitude did bring a hint of doubt or two when I heard his description of a huge blaze that razed the area.

Lord Amato described the cries and screams of those victims in pain so clearly, I could hear them bellow in suffering when he retold his vision to me back then.

"All right, let's begin." I declared before I stepped into the first shop of the area.

Throughout the day, I went from one stranger to another, bringing the picture to their eyes. Most shrugged at the sight of the the picture, some even remarked that such and item could never exist outside the real of imagination, for which I was slightly annoyed. Nevertheless, I gave my gratitude with courtesy, bowing down politely for their willingness and effort to even stop and indulge me with their answers. Though I moved with fleeting steps, I made sure poise and grace were still present in my movement, the sight of myself looking desperate never showing its ugly face.

Till the sun sat atop the skies I continued my search, with little to no progress at all. Most replied with blank faces and confused looks, and as time passed, I found my confidence waning. Perhaps it really was just a dream Lord Amato conjured within his mind, and at that thought the light of hope within my heart flickered, at the risk of being snuffed out. Though my efforts never waned, I despised the doubt so easily formed within me, and the fact that I was jumping to conclusions before the end of the search.

"Status report." I gave out the order as I met up with Dante and Vito in the nearby park. They both appeared to have gone through a similar experience with mine, the slight annoyance in their eyes told me how little progress they have had.

"Nothing in the Museum, nothing but one bones and broken stuff they found in the dirt." Vito gave out in a sarcastic tone, emphasizing on the fact that the results should have been obvious.

"Nothing within the Police Department." Dante's report was quick and concise, or perhaps he really had little else to say. Needless to say, the search was really turning into a wild goose chase, and the lack of results left the three of us stunned with blank look to our eyes as we stood in the park.

My eyes observed the swaying of the leafless trees in the winter cold, with howling of the wind dying down with each breath. I was surprised we were able to catch sight of cherry-blossoms in Okinawa before. My conclusion was that the climate change are quicker to appear at certain areas of the country. Soon, the empty field I observe would be filled with a sea of gentle pink hue. The serene peace from the silence of the scene was utterly broken by the growling of our stomach, though.

"How about we go for some lunch before resuming the search?" I asked out to the two guys whose acts of concealing their hunger looked to drive them mad, and was quickly replied with nods of agreement. Together, we paced ourselves out of the deserted park. As I walked past the gates, my only concern was hoping we could actually find a restaurant in this relatively stranger before our strength was completely torn away from our grasp.

* * *

When we entered through the door, a whiff of seafood immersed my sense of smell. I took my steps in with curiosity and passion, the interest slowly rising within me. It was just as people would describe, the conveyors belts so prevalent in the stories is nowhere to be seen, there's just a counter, with burly, well built man standing behind a table of ingredients that was placed at his arms reach. Staring with wide eyes as I tried to name every single ingredient I could see in front of the chef, the three of us made our way to the seats. The chef of the sushi restaurant stood across the table, readying his knives for our order.

"All righty, then. What would you have? Always happy to see tourists coming to this glorious country of ours!" The big man proclaimed with a deep and booming voice behind the counter, reminding me slightly of Papa. As he handles the food with precision and speed, I could not help but watch in awe as a fellow cook myself. The man beamed a smile towards so bright we could not help but feel welcome.

"Spicy tuna!" Vito cried out as the influence of his hunger takes over. Soon, the three of us were ordering as if it was the most natural action in the world.

"Sea urchin eggs." Dante, with his calm demeanor never fading, slowly gave out his order after a quick examination of the dishes available. Each order was done not one minute after the order was made, the chef's knives sliced and diced so quickly, yet the attention to detail was astounding, as I could see the slicing of fillet and cuts precisely made.

"Shrimp, please!" Breaking out of character for a second, I placed my order with a huge smile stretching across my face, extremely excited to be watching the skills of a professional. Four shrimps was tossed into the air, and in a series of cuts, the shell was pried off before it landed on top of the wooden board placed in front of the masterful chef. In a swift arc, the rice and sauce was formed, seemingly out of thin air, and the shrimp gently merging with it to form a beautiful piece of culinary wonder. When the observation left me with awe, I had a very powerful urge to learn those skills to improve my own cooking.

"Hm, could all of this really be nothing but a fruitless chase brought forth from misled dream?" Playing my fingers and sliding them over my studded wristband, I chomp down another piece of delicious sushi as I laid out all the information I could gather from the Zanna mansion in front of me. There were notes and pictures all scattered over the table. Not giving up, I picked up a small picture, one of the few we had of the object we were looking for, and studied it with intent.

The picture was stained by the yellow mark of time, even the more modern pictures I composed from the ancient one we had carried with them a haze that blurred out most parts of the picture. But from what could be perceived, it only made it more difficult to believe. A glowing orb, crystal and stone, shone with rays of light in the middle of the picture, with the whole pendant itself engulfed in flames, looking very much like a fireball than something to be worn around your neck. Other more indiscernible parts includes a chain of gold and a metal shine of light besides the usual glare from the jewel center.

Indeed, it was difficult to believe such an item is a treasure to the Zanna Famiglia. It was difficult to believe it even exists, but I knew better. As far as classified, this treasure, as with many others, were indestructible, and was left scattered, now floating from one end of the world to another, their position unknown. If only we could just find them...

"Huh, that looks mighty familiar..." A stranger's voice snapped me out of the drifting thoughts I was having. Turning around to face him, an astonished look was flashed out from my face. Did he just say he knew of this object, the one we were searching for all day? The man was one of lean build with a thick pair of glasses over his eyes. Unkempt hair and a backpack behind him, with a sleek camera around his neck led me to the conclusion that his profession is as a photographer. Seemingly not noticing the surprise that had appeared on all of our faces, he made his way to the table a few feet away from us and started ordering sushi as well.

"Dude!" Vito cried out with a annoyed glint in his eyes, slamming his hand down on the table beside the man. Whether it was ignorance or not, the stranger looked towards us with confusion, but he did not look necessarily afraid or even intimidated.

"Can I help you?" His words, the question he gave out, carried with them a cheerful tone. It seemed he was not very affected by Vito's actions.

"Please sir, we need you to tell me where exactly you saw the object in the picture." I asked out in a polite tone, making up for Vito poor performance. This news, catching us completely off guard, brought us up to our feet as we stood beside the stranger, eager for an answer.

"Oh, it belongs to none other than the one who owns most of the shares around this city, the Princess of Akihabara herself, Y-" Suddenly, right at the most crucial point, he cut off his words, an uncertain look appearing in his eyes. A second was taken to make a decision within his mind before he continued. "Well, I suppose most would know her by another name..."

A wave of sound seemed to drown out everything else upon hearing the answer, leaving the three of us shocked and greatly surprised. It was unbelievable. It felt very much like fate played its hand, offering us assistance. When I asked the man again and again to confirm his words, he backed up behind his statements with full confidence.

"Yes, she always wear it around her neck, no matter where she goes." The helpful stranger declared one last time before paying for his meal, giving the proper goodbye in Japanese, and walked out through the door.

Truly, I did not know to see it as luck or not. The heavy impact of those few words left us locked to where we stood, invoking a myriad of emotions ranging from happiness to worry. I could see Dante and Vito looking to me for orders, but nothing decisive came into my mind. The atmosphere in the restaurant went stiff, going a complete turn from the peaceful, welcoming feel that was so prevalent before. Even the knives of the chef stopped, asking out what was wrong as he got worried about the three of us. Being the one quickest to calm, Dante politely assured the chef that his worries were not required.

"So, what now, Valkyrie?" Dante calmly asks out to me while the confusion was still sweeping over my mind. Even Vito's interest was piqued, his eyes burning with desire and interest in a somewhat excited fashion.

"Rrriiinnnggg!"

Just when I would confess my own inability to think of any answer and was about tell them to observe as things progress, a familiar ring-tone sounded off. Bringing a pause to everything else, I brought my cell to my ears, and Sergio's voice came busting from the small contraption.

"Kiera! We have a situation! Amato's been taken!"

His yelling was hoarse, his voice full of despair. In between words I could hear panting and the loss of breath, which meant Sergio was up on his feet and chasing. I could hear a good number of voices at his side, so I assumed the rest of them were safe. But his few words were enough to rile me up to a panic, having to push back the shock to calm myself and think straight. Certainly, we had to move!

"Changing current mission to sub-directive! Dante, Vito, we have an emergency!" My orders were clear, a harsh tone to my words. Perhaps anger had gotten to me, or perhaps I was just upset. Heading to the counter, I quickly paid the chef for what we owed in due. With a bow, I quickly push my way out of the restaurant with Dante and Vito behind my steps, a sharp glare in their eyes as I explained what the emergency is.

"Sergio, did you get a visual on the enemy, do you have their co-ordinates?" I yelled out back to him through the phone, our steps already running up to a sprint. The plan was to have both groups meet up, and to that end I listened in to my small cellphone, awaiting his answers. wetness filled my touch, as well as the chill from the cold, winter wind, but none of that matters. My mind was already berating myself for allowing this to happen, of my own foolishness to put faith to luck.

"We're currently on their tail, and from the looks of it, we're heading right for the eighth district! Hooded figures covered in a cloth of black cloth with blue stripes, they were too much for me and Johann to handle!" Sergio screamed out through the phone, barely able to keep his voice clear enough. I listened on as our steps went from hitting against the roads to the rooftops themselves. "Whether its true or not, I heard the public mumbling out a name when they made their appearance before us..."

"They called them the Kaijin Palm!"

* * *

**I am truly sorry if you guys were expecting something more than a name, but this side of the story is crucial to the arc itself! Here, we get a chance to see the stronger members of the Zanna Famiglia, and how their interaction is like! I have been thinking, do you guys want more frequent updates in chapters? If you want a faster story than my usual weekly pace or not, tell it to me in your reviews!**


	49. In Pursuit Of The Beloved

**Author's Note:**

**Oh yeah, action finally kicks in! Ha ha, now that I think about it, a story where the main character becomes the damsel in distress is certainly a rarity! In this crisis, I hope to show just how the Zanna Famiglia will react and work together to save Amato!**

* * *

**Chapter 48: In Pursuit Of The Beloved.**

**A Sacred Code.**

With a quick move, my phone was slipped into my pocket with my right hand just as a dark robe striped with deep blue fluttered a few inches before me. Everything else around me was chaotic, the throbbing of my heart and the absolute focus I was having blocked out all other sights and sounds. It was strange, as if time slowed down just as my left arm reached out for the object of my focus. Nothing else really mattered, except to lay my hands on that piece of cloth. The only objective was to save him! That tiny light of hope flashing was the only thing distracting me from the pang of guilt chewing on my heart.

But, the light was quickly extinguished as soon as it appeared, when my hand swiped at my front, the floating end of the robe was pulled away from me, vanishing in a violent shake and only leaving its afterimage behind. That display of speed made realize just how skilled these new enemies are. Failing to grab a hold of the figure before me only caused me to lose my balance, forcing me to stop in my steps to recollect myself.

Frantic, everything flew back into me, including my duties as part of the Zanna Famiglia. The warmth of the sun beat down on my skin, and the chatter of people in the streets slowly rang into my ears. At that moment when I stopped, the urge to turn came over me, and I looked to my back to check on the others, even when it meant I might have a slight chance of losing sight of the kidnappers.

"Kuh!" Unconsciously, I gave out the word as Johann and the others came into sight, irritated by the failure that happened just a second ago. Johann, Aria and Hinata, though struggled at the start to keep up with the chase, quickly caught up with me. Though surprising, Hinata moved with speed and agility similar to Johann's and mine, perhaps even quicker. Faced with the ongoing crisis, the issue never lingers in my mind. None of us could say anything, and the light in our eyes only spelled out the worry we felt. Dammit, how could I have allowed this to happen? With the only distraction gone, it was difficult to push back the blame that kept screaming out in my mind.

"Darn it, where the heck did they go?" My tone was filled with panic, any effort to conceal what I was feeling and remain calm in the emergency went to naught. Indeed, it was as I feared, that one second gambled away to check on the welfare of the others was all they needed to lose our eyes, our sight on them. When my eyes darted from one end of the district to another, all I saw was a plain street in Akihabara, filled with people whose empty faces laugh and chatted on about their lives, making Amato's kidnapping feel like it was nothing more than a day-dream.

Regret, guilt, fear and despair. Each of these emotions manifested in my mind as everything the hooded figures seemed to completely went out of our sights, having seemingly blended into the crowds with little to no effort at all. No matter how much I didn't want to admit it, I couldn't help but think of the consequences of this situation if Amato was never found, the product of my own incompetence. Just what would those thugs do to him? My chain of thoughts spiraling down, the images of what happened in the restaurant begin playing in the depths of my mind.

_It was one dangerous situation that allowed the other to occur with little attention. Amato just recovered from his choking, a courtesy of the carelessness from one of the many cooks in the kitchen, slamming down the bottle of water, which was white and strangely, made of porcelain. The competition was forgotten, as the rest of us stood up and tried to comfort Amato, who looked extremely exhausted from the struggle before. Paying no heed to the door, we only realized the kidnappers' arrival when we heard the fearful mumbling and frightened whispers of the other customers in the restaurant._

_The shadowy group approached us, their presence completely concealed, it was unlike anything I had ever encountered before. Skulking like a group of reapers coming to collect the soul, one would feel nothing until a weapon is plunged into their neck. Perhaps it was their speed, or we were just careless, but we only saw them when they floated past us, making their way towards Amato._

_The group faced with no resistance as they took their steps. In fact, a good many people fled at the sight of them, and many others were left stricken with a regretful fear in their eyes._

"_Hey, what are you doing?" My words was the first in a while, my hand grabbing a hold of one of the cloaked figures as he suddenly appeared before our table, in front of of my best friend. _

_Everything happened in a blur, which was probably why my guard had not been raised. That was my mistake, as my fingers touched his shoulders, a blade presented itself from under the robes, and the cold steel, with its sharpened edge cut sliced the shoulder of the arm I raised. Dazed for a second, the attack barely gave off any feeling at all, and I only snapped back as the intense fire burned my wound. And then I fell to my knees, realizing the danger of the situation as I looked towards the enemies with a sharp glare._

"_Sergio!" Johann and the others shook at the sight of my wound, as I clutched on instinctively to prevent myself from losing blood._

"_Don't worry about me, protect Amato!" I ordered the others, and at my words, Johann jumped in front of them, blocking the way between them and their target. That was when my vision fell, shaken by a push from my sides. I think they had me tossed away to the corner so I would not give them any trouble. The last thing I saw before my back collided with the wall was a giant scythe pulled at Johann's neck, and cringed at the sight._

_When I came to from being stunned, the group was gone, slipped out the window along with our Boss, the Boss of the Zanna Famiglia. Johann, Aria and Hinata surrounded me with worry and panic in their thoughts. It was such a fear-ridden moment for us all, we were left with no lead, no direction, no idea on what we should do. Supporting myself on the table, my eyes caught sight of the bottle the cooks served for Amato, its white gleam piquing my curiosity. A whiff was all I needed to realize what it was._

"_This is sake! Why the heck were you guys serving an alcoholic drink?" With frustration slowly overcoming me, I roared out in anger, gritting hard on my teeth. _

_When the staff told of how they were threatened into performing the task, I had no idea whether they deserved the bulk of my anger and frustration or not. The second my legs could move and the rest of us calmed down the best we could, we darted straight for the door, and gave chase as soon as the dark robes with blue stripes came into sight. At that moment, the promise I gave to Kiera this morning flashed through my mind, serving to push energy to my legs and my steps. No way was I going to let them pick off my best friend just like that!_

"There they are!" Johann's voice pulled me back from the depths of my memory, his sharp eyes catching sight of the group heading out of the main streets of the district. Immediately, we moved, sprinting towards them as fast as we could. Our outburst on the streets seemed to attract almost all the attention of the crowds, as they chatter and mumble with curious eyes about what we were doing. Ignoring the crowd, our steps tapped through past all of them as the desire the save Amato grew by the second.

"Hhhrrraaaggghhh!" My emotions got the best of me, as I pushed myself even faster to close the distance, roaring out in both despair and hope. It felt like nothing was more important than pulling their heinous grip off of my friend. My body, my injury, my own safety, even my life nothing else were more important. As the soles of my feet cracked in pain with each step, I pulled out my chains, wrapping them around my arms as I charged. In the sea of chaos, I think I felt what it meant to go berserk, with my chains tightened around my arms. My skin felt like they could be torn off as I leaped against the mysterious group.

"Crack!" a loud sound was given out by the bones in my fist, in a similar vanishing as before, my target in front of me slipped out of existence, the chain and strength striking the concrete road instead. In my mind, my fist had all but shattered into pieces, the pain immediately shooting forth, so much that my right arm trembled in its attempt to maintain control. Wetness could be felt on my skin right after. Did blood burst out from the impact?

Wincing at the sudden pain, I looked up to see one of the hooded figures, whose size was a bit tinier than the rest, making a sharp turn to face me, throwing towards me a side thrust kick as I laid stunned, my body locked to the ground. The feet struck my chest to my surprise, instead of my head, and the impact In the first few seconds crushed into my muscles, my ribs creaked at the verge of breaking.

"Sergio!" My friends yelled out my name in worry, even as the pain coursed through my body.

"Gragh!" I yelled out the pain as the full force overcomes my body, strong enough to send me flying back a few feet. The strength and technique of the powerful move immediately told me that these people shrouded in the shadows of their cloaks, were trained martial artists, at least, the tiny one who kicked me was. As I crashed into a wall, it was Johann's turn, as he boosted himself towards the main group who had Amato in hand, ignoring the short one that struck me.

Another one splits from their group, turning to take on Johann. With blazing speed, Johann twists his whole body in a single, fluid motion and using that momentum to force as much weight as he could into my fist before bringing it down. The figure, with deft movements and a swing of the robes, easily dodged back to avoid the strike, and threw her elbow towards Johann only to be met by his serious glare and a small, playful grin. His jersey pulled to the side as he dodges the blow by slipping to the sides at a speed so fast my eyes could barely follow, and in a swift motion, did a somersault over the figure using her own elbow for support, holding on and pulling her wrist back, locking her position.

Raising his leg, Johann pierced his heel into the enemy's knee joint, and as he crouched in pain, his movements dulled by what seemed like surprise and disbelief, before throwing his own elbow and striking the figure right at the back, pushing it into the flesh like a sword. The sight was executed with speed and accuracy, as if it came straight out of an action scene from a movie. When the the one who kicked me seemed to fluster at what happened, immediately trying to rush towards Johann, I threw my chains and had them lock him by his left arm.

"Oh no, you're not going anywhere!" My warning was yelled out, a bit of confidence returning to me after seeing Johann's technique. Aria and Hinata caught up with us, but they never engage in combat, and frankly, I didn't want them to, considering how combat isn't Aria strong point and we couldn't risk the life of our new friend. At least, I know Amato would never allow it.

Apparently, our actions caught the attention of the other three who had Amato in their hands, stopping them in their tracks. They took one second, almost as if they stopped to show concern for their partners, before they darted off once more.

"H-Hey, come back here!" Johann cried out as they bolted off, with a panicking look on his face.

"Johann, look out!" Hinata's voice shouted out the warning, a desperate tone to her words, a fearful look in her eyes.

Out of sudden urge, I turned to glance in Johann's direction, the figure that struggled by his feet suddenly reached out for him just as he started to sprint for Amato once more, a pair of gauntlets were pushed out from under the robes. Metallic armaments over each arm, dyed in crimson red and gold linings, they differed from the usual design of gauntlets as three sharp steel blades, turning the weapon itself a very feared manifestation of claws from the birds of prey.

His speed exploded, the thrust way faster than before, as he aimed to pierce the claw into Johann's torso. I watched as Johann tried his best to dodge it by jumping to the side, but unfortunately, it was too big of a surprise, and the attack came way too quickly.

"Gah! Yargh!" Johann fell, twisting and turning around on the ground as his right shoulder was grazed, the skin torn and the edges of his clothes dying itself red as his arms desperately clutches the wound as if trying to reduce the pain. Even from where I was, his wound, the flesh in deep red exposed to the air, could be seen with great clarity. The sight itself was horrendous to watch, and the guilt inside my heart only grew as another friend was hurt.

Dammit! At this rate we're all going to get killed! As I pushed myself up with that thought in mind, the tiny one charged against me, a pair of daggers appearing from under the robes. The daggers glistened under the light of the day, their design beautifully crafted in simple, Japanese style. I knew what they were the moment I laid eyes on the weapons. Fabled in stories of assassins from the land of the rising sun, these kunai daggers were the favored tools for ninjas, which were said to be warriors without peer. The daggers could be used both for melee combat and as a projectile, explaining their popularity as weapons even after the ninja clans whittled down.

"Clank! Crink! Ka-shink!"

With the the tiny one and myself locked by our left arm, she engages me with a series of precise and explosive slashes, swinging in arcs so quickly my eyes could barely perceive the attacks. Struggling to keep sight of the trajectory of the swings, I barely managed to avoid getting slashed by deflecting the attacks with my chains, using them wrapped around my arms as shields against the incoming weapons. My only worry was that my chains would give out, get sliced up by her fierce slashes, as hard to believe as that was.

"Huff... Puff..." Each clash of weapons between us sent shock-waves through my whole body, leaving my arms numb and dulled, as opposed to the hooded midget's wide swings, which never seemed to slow down or lessen in strength. Who the heck is behind that hood? If anything, his size and his strength definitely does not match up! As the blows were exchanged, I could find no openings, and the other three figures were slowly disappearing into the crowds. Argh, come on, I need to defeat this person, whoever he is!

Throb.

Suddenly, a pounding against my chest, so forceful that I lost control of my legs, falling down to my knees once more. For some reason, my vision began to waver, all thoughts started phasing out of my mind. I was surprised I wasn't slashed down there and then, but when I shifted my vision, all I saw was the shadow of the hood covering the tiny one's head, just staring at me. Another painful throb, and I turn to the sides, my hearing now distorted, I saw Johann now standing up, ready to face his hooded enemy unarmed, and I also caught sight of Aria and Hinata worried for the two of us, a strange, uncertain look in the light of Hinata's eyes.

"Augh!" I cried out in pain as blood was coughed out of me, my body wrecked by weakness as it happened. The ringing of my chains was the only sound I could clearly hear, their cold surface the only thing I felt at the time. When I gaze upon the enemy once more, he pounced, breaking out of the stillness from a few seconds before. Am I going to die here? Darn it, was all my training for naught? Every time I think I had gotten stronger, another mistake is made. Dazed in my own thoughts, nevertheless, I never closed my eyes as the twin daggers were coming for me, aiming to drive themselves into my flesh.

But the strike never reached my body, the daggers never reached its mark.

Out of nowhere, a hand had stopped my enemy dead in its tracks. The hooded figure struggled, twisting and pulling but to no avail, the grip was simply too powerful.

"Ka-shink!"

When the other hand swung the dagger around in an attempt to break free, it struck another piece of metal, the sound resonating out to the surroundings. When my senses slowly returned, I realized the streets, once crowded with people, is now empty, disregarding the fact that it was only in the afternoon. My vision sharpening, black combat boots first came into view, then a combat dagger met with the hooded midget's kunai, finally stopping at Vito's slightly disappointed face, complete with his head shaking from side to side.

"Hm, getting yourself beat up like this... I guess I expected too much, greenhorn." His usual sarcastic remark, though extremely annoying, was a relief to hear, as with his presence meant another thing.

Desperate, I forcibly looked towards Johann, and a smile stretched across my face. Dante stood there between the crimson claws, pressing back and pressuring the enemy with his rifle. Though his weapon was no wider than two inches, I could see Johann's opponent locked in his movements, not being able to move or even pull back the gauntlets. All the while, he has to suffer the murderous intent practically exploding forth from Dante. Unlike his time as assassin, he has no need to conceal his presence now. Kiera made her way towards Johann and helped him up, supporting him as they grouped up with Aria and Hinata. When Johann's taken care of, she raised her shield against the one with the gauntlets, leaping forth to smash into him, forcing the figure to jump backwards to create distance between him and Kiera's weapon.

"Dante, go after them, track down their position!" Kiera roared out the order, her calm demeanor slowly but surely, diminishing into despair. Immediately, Dante leaped towards where the group had went as her words end, the enemy now facing the Valkyrie. When her eyes darted my way, I could not bring myself to face her, and turned to the side, looking down in shame. I broke the promise, and now our Boss's life is in danger. She has every right to be angry, to blame me for it.

"Let's go, Vito. They need to learn the consequences for such foolish actions, that the Zanna Famiglia is not to be trifled with!" She declared as she raises her giant, ornate shield, showing a side of her personality I had never seen before, sending a shiver down my spine. I stumbled up to my feet as the wrath of the Valkyrie was unleashed before my eyes.

* * *

**Oh my, the words just kept churning out! Hm, I feel like I'm losing my touch with emotions, Sergio's feelings are not particularly portrayed well enough in this chapter, What do you guys think? Each effort to save Amato failed, and now Sergio has to face the rest of the Famiglia as well as work together with them to save Amato! Just how will everything turn out? Well, you'll have to wait for the next chapter to find out!**


	50. A Courtesy

**Author's Note:**

**Oh yeah, it's good to be back writing my FanFiction! Although, the month spend rushing and writing has left me sore and slow with both reading and writing itself, so I'm sorry if this is coming in late. Sigh, my proof-reading has been going quite slow as well. But, no matter what, I cannot neglect my story, they must continue! Onwards!**

* * *

**Chapter 49: A Courtesy.**

**Inner Feelings.**

"Kiera, looking out for the blades! One o'clock!" I hear Aria's voice cried out in worry. At her command, my shield was raised in the direction as I turned to face my opponent, dazed for a second by my anger as well as the worry bubbling within me. Amato's kidnapping was causing much stress in my mind, so much that it was getting difficult to maintain focus. When my shield was cast into its flight, the air whistling as it was cut, the thoughts kept churning forth. Amato, what are they doing to you? Why were you targeted? To think they have the gall to stage a kidnapping in broad daylight!

"Zashink!"

The impact was enough to blow sparks into the air, as bladed gauntlets struck the surface of my shield. In the struggle of strength, my body remained standing while the hooded figure whose height was short compared to mine, flinched a great deal, taking a step back. Pushing my shield down, I used it as an anchor to push my body into the air, primed for an overhead strike. The enemy wasted no time at all, however, and swung her free arm towards me once more as soon as she recovered. Catching sight of her attack seconds before it closed in on me, it came to me at no surprise.

In the air, I directed my right foot to meet step on top of her thrust just as she missed, and as soon as I felt the contact, my mind focused to gently push down on the hooded figure's arm. Even with the small amount of force I projected from my leg, it was enough to drive her gauntlet digging into the ground.

"Ah!" A cry of surprise was heard, a soft mutter from beneath the hood, but not soft enough to escape my ears. The tone of voice was strange, the cry sounding feminine.

Propelled into the air, my eyes stared down on the figure like an eagle eying its prey, unhindered by the weight of my massive shield. Though hidden behind the robes and cloth, I saw through the veil and was certain the figure was wrecked with surprise and disbelief. Pulling my shield behind me, I used the momentum of my descend to push down my weapon in an arc, bringing it down like a comet on top of the enemy.

"Thunk!"

But my shield never did crash and broke the skull of my opponent, even when a hit would have meant an instant death. Instead, my overwhelming strength cracked the earth as the sound burst into the surrounding, ringing through the district. As if struck by realization, I saw a shiver from the hooded figure, as if she knew of her own strength outmatched. No, I did not seek the death of my enemy, I needed information on where they were taking Amato, and frankly, that tiny sliver of combat was not enough to sate my anger. With my shield dug into the ground as a pole for support, I jumped towards the enemy with grace, twisting my body and kicking into the her, sending her flying and crashing a few feet back.

"Shink! Clank! Kashink!"

My mind was still drifting, even as I heard the clashing of knives and caught sight of Vito getting pushed back by his opponent, who was wielding a pair of knives quite different from Vito's. Beautifully crafted and designed, they sliced through the air in many arcs as the figure pushed towards Vito, who blocked each swing by bringing up his one combat knife.

Ba-dump.

The sound of my heartbeat brought me back to this morning, when Amato invited me to accompany him, what foolish mistake it was to abandon him to Sergio and the others. There was constant yelling and berating, of how my own excitement on a mere possibility brought forth a chance for the Boss of the Zanna Famiglia to get hurt, or worse, lose his life. At that though, I shut my eyes for a second as if refusing to believe my own thought, and angry at myself for even going to that conclusion. That was when I felt something wet flow out of my eyelids.

Ba-dump. Ba-dump.

It's my fault that this happened! It's all my fault! I knew I should have followed him, Sergio may have been training but no matter how much of a natural he is, he hasn't even been training for more than half a year! How can I expect him to be able to fend off any attackers that targeted Amato? My legs pounced towards my opponent, who had raised her gauntlets once more. With each burst of thoughts, each scream in my mind, I slammed my shield down on her, the assault never relenting. The figure had little choice but to bring up both gauntlets and lock them together, to shield her body from the impact of my onslaught.

"Crank! Clunk! Thunk!"

No! I'm going to bring him back before anything happens to him! Steeling my resolve, my strikes came down harder and stronger than before, ignoring how small my hooded opponent was, how stiff it felt each time my shield connected with her gauntlets. For a few moments there and then, I became nothing less than a berserker. All I could think of was seeing Amato's smiling face again. So please Amato, be safe until I get there!

"Yyyaaahhh!" My feral cry roared out just as I push all of my strength into the weapon coming down on the enemy, to just smash her into pieces.

"Kiera, stop! You're going to kill her!" Sergio's voice rang through my ears, the word kill slowing down my action before my shield came to a halt right before it struck the enemy. When the cloud of anger, frustration and worry cleared from my vision, my shield came into sight, just a centimeter above my hooded enemy's two raised gauntlets. The crimson metal encasing the gauntlets gleamed in the sun, as they shivered in my eyes, with convulsion spreading from the body of my enemy. Though she stood her ground from my assault, anyone could have seen she would not have been able to endure anymore of my smashing.

Ba-dump. Ba-dump. Ba-dump.

As my heartbeat throbbed withing me, a simple breath of wind blew down the hood, garnering little attention from my enemy, and that was when I got to see who I was fighting against for the first time. Dark, purple hair flowed down from the top of her face, glistening even as they drip with sweat. Her pale skin reminded me of a princess from a fairytale, and was further complimented by her dark, brown eyes. With my shield raised above her, the girl, with her gauntlets barely held by her hands, fell to her knees.

"The person I was fighting against... is a girl?" Sergio's voice could be heard from behind me, a cry out from the revelation. In his tone of voice, I caught a hint of irritation amidst the sea of surprise and disbelief.

"Hah... Ah... Hah..." She stared back at me with a piercing glare, seriousness in her eyes as tears flowed out slowly even as she could barely hold her body up from collapsing. With the claws on her gauntlets, she could not wipe away her sweat and tears as she suffered, and so the flowing was never stopped. Even as she rested herself while watching us in that few seconds, her body just kept on twitching, shaken up by massive shocks from her exhaustion.

A careful glance to Sergio and the others only showed me a sense of fear in their eyes. Was I really so wrapped in anger as I was fighting? The only one who seemed okay was Hinata, who's eyes were pinned on Vito after my fight was over, as if looking with great concern. It made me wonder why was she so curious. As if her desire was washing over me, my eyes quickly threw another glance at Vito.

The Angel of Life had his sleepy eyes pinned on his own hooded enemy, never relenting in their gaze. He dodged each swing of the knives with great ease, with much smoother movements than before, as if he was already used to the speed of his opponent. If put into an expression, Vito looked as though he was a predator playing with his prey before finishing his hunt. And yet, his opponent was amazing as well, not only being able to keep up with him without tiring, but he or she also seemed to be getting quicker, catching up to Vito.

All of a sudden, the situation changed, with Vito's opponent employing a change of tactics, thrusting out for his eyes. Taking a step back, Vito's expression never changed even in the face of the change, as his own dagger was raised in a flash of motion, so fast it almost escaped my own two eyes.

"Zing!" Metal clashed against each other in a burst of force and speed, which erupted in to a number of sparks blowing from the weapons. As expected, Vito stood strong while his opponent got blown back a step by the clash. One could see the figure under the hood was getting desperate, as upon recovery, he or she lunged towards Vito once more, initiating a rather reckless charge.

"Huh?" Another feminine voice came from under the hood, a soft whisper of surprise as her action was stopped in an instant. When the head turned to see what happened, her right wrist had been locked from its movements by Vito's left hand, just as she closed in before the Angel of Life. Any struggle from the girl in the hood was pointless, as I had never seen anyone besides me best Vito in strength yet. As if overcome by some form of excitement, a small, wry smile slowly stretched across Vito's face.

"Well, thought you might be able to grow a bit if I granted you some time, but it seems I was wrong." Vito's words came with their usual sense of wit and sarcasm, completely devoid of any sense of danger.

In a slight instance, Vito's eyes furrowed with seriousness for a slight second, as he threw his dagger in an arc, slashing across the robes of the girl in the hood. The slash was like a streak of light, but the power was impressive, completely cutting through the thick layers of the robes, as well as into the school uniform that came into view, of white and blue. If my eyes did not not fail me, Vito's blade actually cut into the skin of the enemy in that one attack, as the uniform reminding me of a sailor's attire dyed itself in a pool of red.

Even the hood was torn by the backlash of Vito's swing, tearing itself away from the head of the figure, opening up to batch of pink hair that seemed almost too bright to be gazed upon. The bright-eyed girl stumbled back as Vito released his grip, immediately bringing her hands to cover her wound. Eyes wide open, she fell to her knees as she was struck by the shock of the attack.

And just like that, the clashing of weapons warped into silence in that afternoon as the sun beat down in the district. We came out victorious in that little skirmish.

* * *

The orange light seemed to overflow from the window, and seep into the my hotel room as I wondered if what I was doing was the right course of action. Blinking twice, I turned my eyes back down to the two girls pushed to the corner, whom hadn't made a sound ever since we dragged them in here. Their weapons at their side, they looked as though they had accepted their fate, and was quietly biding their time even as they laid restrained by their arms and legs. So far, our interrogation had proved naught, as they refused to speak a word.

"Where is he? Where did you take him?" Sergio's voice had gotten hoarse over the few hours of yelling, as he took the initiative to start the interrogation with fervor. He must be feeling responsible for what happened, and though I do not want to blame him, I cannot say he is not of fault.

The two girls, much to our surprise, looked no younger than the most of us, still in their school uniforms as the one whose hair was in a deep purple shivered slightly, her breathing loud and painful as her body was slowly recovering from the weight of my attacks, while the other, whose hair sparkled in a tint of bright pink, looked genuinely scared, shutting her eyes instinctively every time Sergio's voice boomed. The one afraid hid behind the stout one as she shields her comrade from the onslaught of anger, showing a sense of unshaken loyalty even as they laid captured.

Johann, Aria and Hinata were with us as well, watching our actions as they stood with worry and concern for Amato. Though I wanted them to return to their rooms and await any news, my idea was met with objections, particularly from our new friend Hinata. She seemed really worried, more so than what I thought someone we met for less than a week would respond, but seeing her so eager to help my Lord only served to give me a slight reprieve from my own conflicted emotions.

"Dammit! Why aren't you saying anything?" Sergio cried out in frustration, raising his arm to hit the two girls into submission, much to everyone's surprise. But, as his palm was pushed above his head, his movement was locked.

"Ugh... Hngh..." Sergio's own emotions held back his attack, as what he was doing went against his own code. The fact that he was even going with the interrogation with the two girls must have torn him up on the inside. Seconds later, his action would be the same which had been repeated for the past hour or so, as he pulled back his arm and relent on the violence. I could see beads of sweat forming on his forehead as the minutes passed. Perhaps the knowledge that he lost in both skill and strength to a girl was too much for him, as chivalrous as he is.

"We can't say anything. You have your rules, and we have ours. You won't be getting anything from us." The girl with the dark purple hair recited without shifting her eyes to look at us, a response after seeing Sergio and his reactions.

"Enough!" My own frustration snapped. Though I calmed myself down when we returned to my room, the anxiety and tension never left my mind, and all the failure in our effort to obtain information from these girls only got the feelings rising. As much as I trust in Dante, nevertheless I cannot say he would be completely successful in tracking down those who picked off Amato, so we need as much information as we could gather. My voice garnered a different reaction from the girls, as they immediately jerked their head towards me with caution.

With a sharp glare, my mind contemplated on what should be done, what can be done. It was obvious that these girls were strong in their values and their will, so they won't break under the usual torture procedures. I didn't want to break any part of their body if possible. When the thought of Amato popped into my mind again, my arm was instinctively raised to slap the girl with dark, purple hair before a grip stopped it.

"Hold on there, Valkyrie. We don't want them dying just yet." Vito cut in from his silence out of nowhere, stepping up from the back where he usually leaned against the wall and took on a more passive role.

"Now, as a doctor, their injuries are getting on my nerves, perhaps we can continue this chat after I patched them up a bit? If that is okay with you?" Vito blatantly gives out with a smile as he walked towards the girls, eyes scanning their bodies and checking out their injuries. Indeed, though hours passed, the two of them did not seem to be recovering at all from their wounds, it would be disastrous if they died, for I did not want blood on the hands of the Zanna Famiglia, not like this.

"Fine." My reply was stern and cold, for I could not show anymore kindness for these hooligans after what they did to my Lord. A amalgam of emotions appeared in the eyes of the two girls after hearing our words, of mostly confusion and disbelief as they looked to each other. Vito only took out white, rubber gloves and put on them on as he approached them.

"Now then, ladies, I'll need you both to take off your clothes for a full body examination." Vito calmly gave out his advice in a caring tone, just like a regular doctor, in contrast to his usual, sarcastic self. At times like this, it made me wonder why Vito never took up the mantle as a doctor as his profession, but stayed with the Zanna Famiglia.

Of course, as expected, the two girls flustered at his words, inching back towards the walls with emotions flushing out onto their faces as Vito took one step after another towards them. As sincere as Vito was, even I would be hesitant if he approached me with his hands raised like that, wrapped in white rubber. He looked genuinely menacing, to give a comment.

"W-wait! Is this another one of your interrogation methods? We'll talk, w-we'll give you the information, so just leave us alone!" Breaking out of her previous stoic demeanor, the girl in purple hair flustered harder as each second passed, throwing her arms to shield her fear-ridden comrade while panicking herself. The subject of touching their bodies must be beyond what they expected. In my eyes, they seem really sensitive for a pair of girls who were trying to take our lives a few hours back.

"Nonsense." Vito casually tossed out his reply with an out of place smile, and ignored their pleas. Somehow, I felt as though he was enjoying himself. We watched as Vito pulled back his glove over his fingers with a snap, and everyone of us looked away as he started on the procedure.

"As a doctor, it is... but a courtesy."

Though the whole procedure only lasted no more than half an hour, we nevertheless heard the many cries, screams and moans from the two girls. Even without sight of what was happening, I could roughly piece the images together based on their cries as well as Vito's replies, which did nothing to calm them down.

"Hm... Bone structure seems okay, no fractures..." Vito's calm observations gave off a sense of professionalism which I rarely pick up from his voice.

"Uw... How can you say that so calmly... while feeling down my.." The serious girl from before had all but lost her resistance, her voice breaking down to a soft mumble.

"No, don't touch my...!" A new voice cried out, this one sounding much younger and higher than the other girl's. It must be the one with the bubbly pink hair.

"I'll need to close that up, stitch it if I must. We don't want a scar to form, correct?" Again, Vito did his job with most focus, I sense no distraction in his mind even as he examined the naked bodies of the girls, though I worry for his mental state as I wonder if he was really completely ignoring two girls so close to his age.

When it was all done, we turned to see the two of them in the same corner as they were, their eyes stunned by what happened, their faces turned bright red. As they stared at the floor, they looked as though they had seemingly forgotten about their situation. Vito looked satisfied as he did the few final checks on their bodies by their side, his eyes as sleepy and laid back as ever. Their robes in their hands, they now completely look the part of innocent school girls if not for their vicious weapons at their side. The magnificently designed gauntlets for both hands and feet, as well as the dozen finely crafted kunai daggers lay at their reach, though I don't think they'll be wielding them against us anytime soon.

"...I can't believe you touched our bodies... and you never even reacted at the sight..." The girl with the long, purple hair was the first to break out of her shock, giving off the comment. The tone sounded more of annoyance and disbelief than anger or spite, as though it was more of a complaint than anything else. Was she upset by Vito's performance?

"Meh, I've seen better..." Vito spoke out his mind with little care for the feelings of the girls, returning back to his blunt, witty self. That caused the receding flare of emotions on the face of the girl to erupt once more like a volcano, causing her to raise her hand in reflex, before bringing it down.

"Slap!"

"How can you say that?" It seemed she reached the peak of her chaotic emotions, screaming out at the top of her voice as she threw a slap at Vito's face just as he got close to her. That act left the rest of us stunned as well the girl's comrade, who just snapped out of her shock. When she finally realized what she done, how she had been acting, she quickly pushed back her emotions, and turned away to the corner, immediately calming down.

"Sigh... All right, I promised to tell you what I know, and so I will." The girl closed her eyes and spoke out after a heavy sigh

That was when a sound rang across the room.

Just as we pushed ourselves forward, eager to hear where Amato had been taken to, my phone's ring-tone broke the silence of anticipation. When the name 'Dante' flashed across the screen, my eyes blew wide open as I quickly flipped my phone open and pushed it to my ear. The sudden change of the situation was enough to cause shivers running through my movements, causing me to nearly drop my phone to the floor in excitement.

"Valkyrie, They've stopped. I've tracked them down to a warehouse near District Ten." Dante's muffled voice through the phone was like the voice of an angel, filling me with hope and keeping that dying flame within me alive. "Should I initiate?" As with any careful spy, Dante quietly asked out for directions, keeping his messages short and concise.

"Hold on, it may be a trap, we're coming!" I declared through my end of the phone.

"No way, that guy managed to keep up with Rei?" The girl spoke out in shock, her purple hair swaying to the sides. Her eyes blew open with disbelief, and her comrade behind her was struck by utter confusion.

With only a glance, I rounded up the members of the Zanna Famiglia. Even those not affiliated to us, namely, Hinata, urged me to let her follow us, despite the potential danger she might get into. As the sun set in the distant horizon as I looked out the window, my eyes sharpen with conviction. Pulling the two girls up, we ordered them to follow us as we begin the rescue mission. In a few minutes, we were geared for the job, lengths of chains wrapped around Sergios's body, a dozen daggers hooked up with Vito's attire, a metal bat swung around in Johann's hands and I primed my ornate shield, the wings in its design spreading out from the center, as we begin moving through the lobby and out of the hotel.

"Let's go save the Boss!"

* * *

**Oh man, this came late, really late, by a few weeks! The Famiglia primes themselves to save the boss, but just what are they going up against? Will Amato be okay after everything that's happened? I'll be pumping out the chapters to make up for the lost time, keep your eyes out for the updates!**


	51. Save The King

**Author's Note:**

**Time to forward the story, and make up for the chapter updates I missed. Man, it's been a while since I actually went online and read the stories of others. I really need to speed it up! I can't wait to progress this chapter, and I can promise you it'll be full of surprises! I hope you guys like it!**

* * *

**Chapter 50: Save The King.**

**A Sacred Code.**

_The King. _

_He who rules all, and he who holds the highest authority. His fate determines the very fate of the world he resides in. Though the honor of holding the most power goes to the queen, no regiment can be left standing if the King falls in battle. However, this also means that as long as the King is still the piece standing on top of the board, there still exists a chance of victory, no matter how slim it is. As long as the King still exists, the game will push itself forward. _

_As long as Amato is still alive, we'll do all it takes to come out on top._

Through the pair of binoculars, I caught sight of him hanging still in the hands of his captors, observing through whatever the tiny glass could show me. When I pushed the binoculars down, a field of darkness washed over my eyes, as nighttime came into view. Atop one of the many empty warehouses of that particular district, I was doing a final confirmation of where Amato is.

My legs pressed firmly on the giant piece of metal that forms the roof on the particular warehouse we were standing on top of, with numerous same buildings stretched as far as my eyes could see. Many crates and machinery filled what open areas one could find. The harsh, winter wind blew in great strength against us as we stood there, still and silent while we did what planning we could. The chill could be felt as though the cold wind phased through my shirt.

"Status, Sergio?" Kiera commanded, facing away my back, just as Vito and Dante was, their eyes thrown to cover our location, making sure no one was able to detect our presence.

"Right, our Boss's there, and so are the other three members, hidden behind the robes." Containing my excitement the best I could, I pushed my tone down to a whisper, calmly reporting exactly what my eyes caught sight of. The need to check came over me, and my eyes were turned to the sides of the warehouse we stood on. To the walls, Johann, Aria and Hinata were also doing their best to remain hidden. With their status secured, the next thing of importance was the enemies we had with us, the two girls behind me, tied at their limbs to prevent any form of movement from the pair. Strangely, they did nothing but obey our orders ever since we stepped out of the hotel.

Another glance into the tool in my hand was all I needed. Indeed, we were definitely the ones having the advantage, no matter how one views it.

"The targets' there. Number of targets only boils down to three. They seem to be waiting for someone, probably reinforcements." My report continues, as the tool is stuffed into my pockets. Yes, it was definitely the time to strike, we must attack them while we still held the element of surprise. "But, they're armed." That was the last thing I needed to report, and it could be the most crucial piece of information we needed to be informed of.

"What do you think, Valkyrie? Should we charge in? May I suggest the fragmentation grenade?" Vito's tactical tone is cold, almost cruel, with a small hint of sarcasm still present behind each breath. At his words, he plucked out the very object he suggested. My eyes widen as I saw a real life grenade for the first time in my life, and was shocked that he would even suggest using that weapon when they had Amato at their hands.

"No, we can't risk the safety of the Boss." And without reaction, Kiera struck down his blatant suggestion, an irritated tone in her reply.

"All right, all right, how about the cs grenade?" Vito throws out yet another suggestion, pulling out the weapon and tossing it into the air like a toy, as if he was enjoying the tension of the situation. Now that was something I was familiar with, having read up about it before. The cs grenade, otherwise known as the tear gas grenade, is a tool to be used when one hopes to curb a situation with little damage to the sides. Though those hit by the gas would have to suffer with their bodies going out of control, the effects were known to be temporary, so the grenade only acts to stun and disorient the targets.

"Vito!" Kiera snapped back at him with an angered tone, a fierce glare in her eyes had the angel's mouth all sewed up. After a second or two, her anger dissipates as soon as she realized how she acted. Kiera must be really strung up by what happened for her to lose her cool like this.

"Looks like we have no choice but to walk through the front door..." I softly gave out my suggestion while taking the reactions of the three at my side with great concern, not hoping to agitate them further. In my mind, they must be furious at my incapability, for it was mainly my fault this happened to Amato. "...Hopefully, with their comrades chained at our side, we can ensure Amato's safety." I speak out my mind, before following the others and hopping down the roof, onto ground level.

With my metal chains dangling, dragging along the ground as I walked, we entered into the warehouse. The cold metal froze my skin as they came into contact, and sound of the chains hitting against the ground was loud, but I didn't need to stop the noise, for the figures behind the hood immediately reacted to our presence the moment we stepped past the door. My eyes pinned themselves on Amato the moment I got a clear look at him, as the hooded one in the middle kept his grip around his neck, tugging him with one hand with what looked like an unbelievable amount of strength.

Amato laid slumped to the ground, not even struggling against his captors. Just what the heck is wrong with him? Though his limbs were tied to his back, he was showing no resistance at all as he was pushed around by the three as they got him to where they wanted him to go. That was when the white porcelain bottle popped into my mind. That's right, Amato gulped down a whole bottle of sake! He must be completely drunk after imbibing such a huge amount of undiluted alcohol!

When we stopped before them, there was but a moment of silence, as they were surprised to see their comrades, and we had no proper words to say. Or at least, I didn't know what words should be said.

"Release him!" I surprised even myself when my emotions took over my body, rage and anger, annoyance and guilt, pushed out what words formed in my head. At my roar, my fingers clenched harder on the chains that went around my two arms, so much that my skin felt as though they were tearing, the sharp pain ignored and considered pointless to pay my attention to. Inside the huge warehouse we were in, by the industrial district, a good number of crates surrounded us, some stacked as tall as a few stories, reducing the space we had in case we had to go all out.

Behind me, without even turning, the feeling of the eyes of my comrade piercing as they kept watch on the three enemies were strong. So strong if felt as though Kiera, Vito and Dante themselves were emitting their own presence, seeping it out to engulf the area. Their own brand of murderous intent. Even the faces of Johann, Aria and Hinata were wrecked by caution with sweat dripping down their heads as they appeared beside me. It was the moment which kept me on the edge, for nothing was more important than Amato's safety.

"Heed the words. You know better than to go against the Zanna Famiglia. Release him, for we do not wish to take lives today." Kiera's warning boomed across the quiet warehouse, her voice louder than mine. It seemed less of a threat, and more of a warning. As I took a glance at her, I could sense her fingers digging into the handle of her shield, tightening by the second.

"...Ugh... Rei, listen to them... We shouldn't be messing with them... The mission's a mistake!" A high voice came forth from behind me, though only for a few seconds, it was instantly recognizable. The younger girl with bright, pink hair must be calling out to her comrade. The voice of their comrade caused the three figures in hoods to give off a slight twitch, almost as if they were shocked by what they heard. A few seconds later, they gave their answer.

"No. We don't take orders from outsiders. The mission demands no freedom for this boy, and he must be bound to our hands." The one in the middle, wielding a sleek katana sheathed in an oriental designed sheath, pushed away our hopes by flatly refusing to cease and desist. Even before the three fighters behind me, whose presence would have paralyzed those without training, the leader was able to outright decline and stand up to Kiera, leaving me partly shocked and impressed.

As if a nerve struck by the words, one person's presence behind me exploded to tremendous levels, so much I felt as though I needed to keep my absolute focus just so I could remain standing. The weight of my dangling chains was nothing compared to the pressure pushing down on my body, and the most scariest part was that, I could feel that it wasn't even directed to me. I was just feeling the excess pressure that was seeping out, and I had a pretty good idea who it was coming from.

"Wrong answer." Kiera's voice spoke out, a cold, harsh tone of death filled her words. That was the signal that sent me charging, pulling back my two arms to ready myself. It was difficult to even keep track of what Kiera and the rest were doing with my eyes. Leaving the ones we had in our hands to Johann, we started the assault to free the Boss.

"Let go of him!" It was a simple order, the few words formed in my mind as I let myself be drowned in the moment, focusing everything I had into the fight. Closing in on the leader who had Amato in his hands, I threw down my right arm after raising it, reinforced by the many links of metal chain, down like an anchor, hoping to crush his head. I had nothing to go on, no movement, I couldn't sense his next move. Instinct proved naught in that situation, even his eyes were still hidden in the shadows behind his hood.

And then, with a sharp move, he took a step back, completely dodging my attack. My arm slashed the air only centimeters away from his face. It was a quick move, and he did it with lightness to his step, but the power was so huge it pushed back his hood, revealing his face at last. Faded blue hair, his ends pushed up at his sides at they flowed down from the top of his head. From the strands came a pair of sharp eyes.

"Iaido: Test the Waters." He whispered some words, which sounded more like a name of sorts, before his fingers circled themselves around his katana, which was adorned with the designs of dragons sculpted all around its handle, crouching his back down as he took a stance. The white blade only appeared before my eyes for a second, before it completely disappeared.

"Shing!"

My instincts finally kicked in, and the idea that I must defend myself screamed in my head. Taken back by what was happening, my eyes widen as I hastily pulled back my arms and raised them to shield my body. Flustering, beads of sweat flew from my forehead as an invisible slash flew across my arms, the impact ringing through my bones, before the blade returned back into its sheath. A cold, sharp pain appeared from the skin that was cut.

"...You blocked it? You're good..." The one named Rei still had the composure to give out his comment, unfazed by the situation around him. Wincing on reflex from the pain, I nonetheless recovered myself as soon as I could, and threw another punch towards him. As expected, he jumped back a few feet to dodge my attack again, still holding on to Amato, landing at exactly where I wanted. Pumping my strength, I pushed my steps to close in on him in a second, and swing my two arms like a giant hammer in a wide arc, making sure not to hit Amato.

"...But not good enough." To my surprise, he gave out those particular words, as he disappeared from my eyes. His speed was astounding, so much his visage faded and distorted in half a second before he vanished like a shadow, leaving Amato falling to the ground. Yes, just a few more steps! Suddenly, a split-second later flew by and he re-appeared before me, robes thrown into the air, taking the same stance as before, shocking me to the fact that he could even close in on me so damn quickly, without myself catching on to his actions. What the heck, he's like a ninja!

"Iaido: Armor Piercer." He decalred his next attack, just as before. This time, my eyes were geared enough to barely keep track of his movements, which themselves looked inhuman. Even then, I only saw two actions, one, when his fingers went around the handle of his sword once more, and two, when he already brought it up to the side of his face and was driving it towards me, propelled by his two hands.

"Ka-shink."

"What?" The fact that it looked even faster than before scared me as I brought up my arms once more, pushing them together like a shield. For that one second, my attention went from Amato to myself, as it truly felt as though I would've lost my life right there. Next thing I know, the impact of his attack shredded through my chains and completely sliced through the side of my arm, the cold blade sunk deep, mowing through my very flesh, grinding against the bones of my arm.

"Skletch."

"Gargh! Ugh!" The pain burned as soon as he pulled the blade back, flicking it with the same, insane speed before replacing back in its sheath. I couldn't help but cry out from pain, no matter how much I pushed it back inside me. It had been a long time since my body last shivered in a fight, and the memory of my struggle against Dante surged back in my mind.

"Clink. Clank." The many links of metal coiled around my arms, my weapons, fell onto the ground, becoming nothing more than scraps, crushed and twisted. With my chains destroyed, all he had to do was to drive that katana down my neck or through my body, and it'll be all over for me. Staggering for a second, my steps stumbled back as I tried to recollect myself. The moment I looked up, however, Rei's eyes had meandered away from me, looking towards the person behind me.

"Sergio! Get the Boss to safety!" Kiera's voice was all I needed to kick start my body once more. My body felt what was going to happen, and I pushed my way pass Rei, and at a sharp glance to my back showed me Kiera crashing down on top of where Rei was.

"Crack! Thud!"

Dust and smoke were blown into the air, the ground cracked at the impact of the attack. Pushing away the desire to witness the fight, I got to Amato's side, and held him by the shoulders. He laid as motionless as before, barely breathing, his eyes blocked by a piece of cloth, arms and legs tied by metal chains. It looked horrible. When I looked up once more, the smoke had cleared, and a crater was created from the attack. Kiera stood there, her shield still digging into the ground, while Rei was nowhere to be seen. Suddenly, the chains dangling by her waist gave off a soft ring, and Kiera twisted to her sides, raising her giant shield in blinding speed.

"Crank!" The metal blade of the katana met with Kiera's shield as the leader of the kidnappers appears at the side, as if he spilled out into reality. This time, a more serious look entered his eyes, with the light of worry and disbelief in the pupils. Of the two sides, his katana trembled as if he could not maintain the contact between the weapons, that he could not hold back Kiera's strength. Before long, the clash broke, and the shield slammed against the swordsman as soon as he got disoriented.

"Guh!" He gave out in pain as he flew a few steps back, even as he took Kiera's attack head on. Darn, he's strong. Behind him, another one of the hooded figures lunged at Kiera, drawing back his giant scythe. That gigantic weapon was pale white, spikes numerous in its design, climbing down the head like a monster's spine. Because he jumped just as Kiera attacked, I saw a light of surprise in Kiera's eyes as she pushed her body up to defend against the incoming arc of the giant weapon. But, it looked as though it was going to hit, to cut into the Valkyrie before she can raise her shield.

"Kiera!" The word escaped my mouth on reflex, popping out as I held on to Amato. I can't afford to get her hurt as well! That was when the barrel of a familiar sniper rifle came into sight, raising itself against the giant swing of the scythe in mid-air. Dante was the one whose hands directed that weapon, and just nudging it forth, he stopped the swing completely. A sharp glare in his eyes, he threw a swing with his rifle, and tossed the man with the scythe to the sides, sending crashing. I watched it with my own eyes, and I still can't believe what he did was possible, but I can't help but feel a smile stretch across my face.

"Amato! C'mon, wake up! Your Famiglia needs you!" Returning back to what I'm supposed to do, my hands shook down on Amato as I removed his blindfold, hoping to wake him up. His eyes laid shut, as if he was trapped in a deep sleep, his breathing slow and peaceful, totally unfitting fro the current situation. Of course, I can't expect him to pop his eyes open after drinking a whole bottle of Sake, but somehow, I felt as though I really needed to see him okay, to see his eyes open and tell me he's okay with a smile. My hands never stopped shaking him.

"Shirtch. Swish. Shink!"

A good distance away from the fight before me, Vito and the other hooded figure was exchanging blows, the sound of their weapon clashing rang through the warehouse. Still wielding only one dagger in his hand, Vito's sly smile in the face of danger was freaky, as he alternated between melee combat with his daggers to using the ballistic capabilities of his daggers. The daggers clashed with the bone whip flying out of his opponent's robes, the whip itself spiked with multiple teeth and crafted with many metal rings that would hurt if it struck flesh and would break through steel. His opponent seemed to have been driven on edge because of the changes of styles he kept doing, slowly becoming defensive.

Vito said nothing, but his movement was completely erratic, making use of the twisting of his whole body to create unorthodox arcs as he swung his daggers. Suddenly, he changed and threw a regular punch at the figure, who jumped to the sides as he got surprised. That was when the blade from Vito's dagger was shot out of its handle, cutting through the air and flying towards exactly where the figure jumped to. Stunned, his opponent barely dodged the blade by shifting his head back, even so, the flying piece of metal sliced into his face, cutting through the skin.

"Hah... hah..." Vito's opponent was left with bated breath, a sliver of his skin showing from the shadows of his hood, followed by drops of blood falling to the ground. The way he grabbed what chance he has to catch his breath made me wonder just how much energy he needed to keep up with Vito, to turn him like that.

"He he he he he..." Laughter from the voice of men chimed out from nowhere, sounding in unison, as if there were dozens of them around us. The sound was so annoying and surprising that I couldn't help but find my eyes flying all over the place to seek out where they were coming from. That was when a good many men in suits started pouring forth from the entrance, snickering and laughing at what was happening, an ugly sight. Who are they? Are they with our hooded enemies? Even as they spread themselves like a plague, the question still held on in my mind.

"They know better than to take on the Kaijin Palm, now they're gonna die!" One of the faceless men commented out rather loudly, as if he wanted us to hear him.

"That's what they get when they mess with the Yakuza! Our Monstrous Left Hand comes crashing down on them!" Another cries out in haughty boasting, stupidly proud of himself. That little sentence only confirmed my suspicion that these were the men our current opponents were waiting for. Whatever the case, they seemed both stupid and blind, as no matter how one sees it, we are the one winning in our scuffle. The way they act makes me wonder if they're really part of the Japanese crime syndicates, and if they do, where's the honor and the code of conduct the Yakuza is known to have?

"No, we're surrounded!" Johann yelled out loud so that we all could hear it, as he threw his arms wide to protect Aria and Hinata, even the two other members of this group they called the Kaijin Palm we had bound up. Darn it, I may have missed the exact number before, but by the time I turned my focus towards the crowd again, they had already closed off any opening for escape, leaving us trapped to a group that outnumbers us ten to one. That was when silence resumed within the warehouse, a feeling of dread and order in strange harmony. Kiera and the others stopped fighting, and their weapons ceased their clashing.

Next thing I knew, every one of them so-called Yakuza men had guns pulled out of their backs. Machine-guns, pistols, rifles, shotguns, each of them had at least a weapon in their grasp. It made movements difficult, so I assume that's why Kiera and the others stopped the assault.

"Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap."

Footsteps could be heard from behind the crowds, slowly getting louder as it got closer to us, and the silence only grew stronger as it did. Eyes turned towards the source of the steps even as the guns were locked onto us. Whoever was coming was someone of high authority, so much that even the Kaijin Palm seemed to fluster at what was happening. When I turned to Rei, the leader of the group, he had a strained expression on his face, and something told me it wasn't just from the pain of getting smacked around by Kiera's shield.

A second later, he disappeared again, vanishing in a weird, inhuman distortion of his own image. Next thing I saw was an arm flying towards my face just as Rei re-appeared before me.

"Smack!"

"Ngh!" I never noticed such strength nor did I expected it from the leader of the Kaijin Palm, and I was thrown to the sides, sent flying a good few meters. Of course, caught by surprise, my hands released the grip I had on the Boss, a stupid move on my part. Landing on the ground face first, I quickly push myself up, ignoring the burning pain on my arms. And just like that, Amato falls into enemy hands once more.

The footsteps then came to an end, the many people shifted to the sides as the figure, most likely the head of these men, appeared. He had a sleek-looking suit, pale in color, but adorned with accessories, chains and jewels, so much that one look was all I needed to know he was the top dog. His shoes shined even though their black, and he wore a good number of rings over his fingers, slowly my eyes moved to his face. And the sight sent shock-waves through my body.

"It's... you!" Definitely, I could've never expected to see the face I saw, the same black hair and eyes. He just glared back at all of us with a crooked smile on his face. The face of the boss of these Yakuzas was the very same face we sent to the police yesterday, that pervert from the train!

"I see." Kiera gave out as soon as she saw the one who appeared, as if it was the answer she needed. "Cease and desist, our anger is at its peak, but we still cling to the wish of not taking lives today!" Even so, she roared out her words, never relenting before the sea of heads that surrounded us. Even when their weapons stay raised, ready to puncture our bodies with a million bullets at a single order. Is Kiera confident that we can still win even with numbers like this? No doubt it's not impossible, with the three most powerful members of the Zanna Famiglia here with us today, but... why am I so reluctant when I try to follow Kiera?

"Ha ha ha, you're kidding, right? I'm the boss of the Yakuza group you see before you, this is my turf! And I'll be making that boy there suffer for sending me to the cops!" That pervert from the day before bellowed those words under his voice, showing the same crazed look burning in his eyes as he did when he was on board the train yesterday. When he tried to take advantage of Hinata. Darn it, the more I think about it, the more I want to go against him, to save Amato by beating him up!

Both sides had their weapons raised, armed to the teeth, ready for a clash. Kiera, Vito and Dante, together with me and Johann, may come out on top after everything explodes into chaos, but I can't take that risk. I don't want Amato getting injured on top of my mistake, and I don't want Kiera and the others hurt because of my mistake as well. Where I stood, grinding my teeth at my pain, I was alone, and I felt as if I couldn't afford anymore mistakes. I need to fix this, alone, and there's only one thing to do.

"Wait!" I cried out, pushing my back straight as my eyes towards that disgusting man I handed to the police yesterday. With my voice breaking the silence, everyone in the warehouse turned towards me, most of the thugs in suits snarling as they did. "I'm the one who turned you in, so can't you leave Amato alone, and do whatever you want with me instead?" My eyes fell to the ground as my words were churned out, pushing away whatever embarrassment or nervousness I was feeling.

It was a selfish feeling, as my hands shivered slightly out of fear, that I felt more afraid for myself than for Amato, more so when I, myself, knew I shouldn't be feeling that way.

"No way. You think I don't know what happened? I know a leader when I see one, and yesterday, I saw you guys backing him up. Don't worry, you're all gonna suffer, he's just going to have it worse!" The man proclaiming to be the Boss of this Yakuza group threw out his threats with little care, his brass way of speaking rude and uncivilized, shaming the honor and code of conduct of the Yakuzas. What's worse was that some of his men rallied behind his words, getting excitement by the sound of his voice, like mere animals.

"Tsk." The very act of foolishness before her must be extremely annoying, as Kiera gave out a sound in accordance to her feelings. Vito and Dante felt as though they've went beyond their patience as well. Both sides got riled up good just by a sentence made from the enemy boss before me. Darn it, this isn't good, I don't want a clash of forces to break out! I'm the right-hand man of the Zanna Famiglia, I'm supposed to protect everyone else!

"Stop, I have a suggestion." My words delayed the ticking time-bomb for a few seconds, garnering the attention of everyone once more. If they really are Yakuza, they have no choice but to accept this! "We'll settle this little conflict like how my ancestors did in this land..." That's right, I'll solve this little problem myself, I'll do whatever it takes!

"I call for a duel!"

At my challenge, many of the Yakuza members raised their brow in surprise.

"Oh, you're a Japanese." The realization came to the enemy boss by surprise, but it was more of a pleasant reaction. "Well, then, I suppose that would suffice. You do know you'll have to go against the best man I have with me." He casually threw out his words once more, taking the situation very lightly, annoying me to no end. His hands landed on the shoulders of the leader of the Kaijin Palm, after he made his way towards him while we were locked under the aim of the many guns pointed at us. The one called Rei closed his eyes for a moment, as if in contemplation, before opening them with conviction.

"Very well. But we shall fight as our ancestors did before us, through swordsmanship!" He demanded, pulling a katana from one of the grunts beside him, and throwing to my side. The sword dug into the ground from the strength of his throw, and stuck itself up, waiting for me to draw it.

"Wait, Sergio, maybe I should do it..." Johann's concern was a rare thing, but I guess he saw the imbalance of skills it would bring to the match if I accepted.

"Sergio, you don't have to do this. You can't accept something as one sided as this!" Kiera spoke next, almost as if she was lecturing me for my own foolishness. Perhaps it's selfish for me to want to do this alone, but everything that's happened was because of my fault, I shouldn't drag Kiera and the others into danger because of this. Dante and Vito just looked on waiting for my decision, never speaking a word to dissuade me.

"No..." The only way to decline was to rid myself of my common sense, or at least, it felt like that. I can do this, I want to do this, I'll save the Boss, and do my duty to the Zanna Famiglia. Convincing myself the best I could, my fingers gripped themselves around the handle of the katana blade. Drawing it out from the ground and ignoring the strain on my arms, I gave them my answer.

"I got this."

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**Wow, what a long chapter! I'm doing my best to make each situation believable and have them make sense, because I'm you all know how some situation never make sense in stories. Can you guys feel how Sergio is feeling right now? I hope you do. Even with his swift defeat before, Sergio pushes on alone, determined! What's going to happen to him? You'll have to wait for the next chapter to find out! In the meantime, please tell me what you think about the story in your reviews!**


	52. Duel

**Author's Note:**

**Well, it's Christmas Eve but I don't celebrate the festivities, so here I am writing! As you have probably noticed, this arc has quite the heavy focus on Sergio, and I hope that by the end of it, you guys will like Sergio as a character more!**

* * *

**Chapter 51: Duel.**

**A Sacred Code.**

My vision wavered, blurring every few seconds, forcing me to focus harder then before just to have my sight in stable form. The sword wrapped around my fingers was drenched by the sweat pouring out of my skin, not to mention dangling slightly from my slightly trembling right hand. My eyes dart around the place as if desperate for a check on my surroundings, and I saw Kiera and the others watching with intent, worry on Johann, Aria and Hinata's face. On opposite sides, the pervert from the day before sat down on a seat as if he was a king on a throne, an almost primal look of excitement on his face as he looked on.

"Shing!"

Another slash cut through the air and rang through my ears, alerting my sense as my mind screamed out for movement. Frantic, I latched both hands tight around the katana and swung towards the source of the sound with all my might, hoping for a miracle. Or at least, it very much felt like I needed it.

"Clang!"

The impact shook my bones with great power, even when I could barely follow the end of the opposing blade, drawn across the air by the leader of the group known as the Kaijin Palm. Pushing me back, I fall to the ground on my back, as my arms throbbed from our exchange. Blood pumped themselves through my veins so loudly it felt like I was bleeding from my fingers. Not given a moment's reprieve, Rei gave another monstrous slash towards me as I laid on the ground disoriented, snapping me back with just enough time for me to roll away from the slash, only inches before my shoulders.

"Hah... Hah... Hah..." All the while, fire burned my lungs, the feeling rising in intensity the more I pushed my body. I can't believe I'm not able to keep up with the guy, his movements is insane! The speed is not something believable at all!

"Uragh!" On my knees, the pain is ignored, and I screamed out and threw my arms once more, the blade flying out in an arc before me, seeking to cut my opponent. I have no idea why I screamed, perhaps it was to get my mind off of the painful truth that I might very well lose this duel, or just my body's way of ignoring the wrecking sensation going across my systems.

The situation has basically been the same for the past hour, with the silence of the night in the industrial district broken by the clash of our swords. When the fight first started, I couldn't see the path of his sword at all as the blade flew towards me, and thus, suffered a few grazes and cuts by dodging with sheer luck. When those men said that the group my opponent leads are known as the left hand of the Yakuza, seeing Rei's moves only had me all but convinced they weren't lying.

Darn it, if only I can make use of an opening, anything to successfully land my attacks on him! At the thought, another slash hissed as it sliced the very air itself, forcing me to jumped a step to the sides. In his swing, my sword homes in on him as I force all my strength into my swing once more, my blade looking to pierce into his shoulders, making use of his actions as opening itself. Since he's in the middle of an action, he shouldn't be able to make it in time to block this attack!

"Eyargh!" My attack came with a feral roar, my own voice helping my mind to retain the focus needed. Suddenly, his blade, which was supposed to be pointing downwards from his swing, is pushed into my sight, intercepting my blade. The thin blade of the eastern sword was like a wall of stone and steel, stopping my attack immediately and utterly stopping my attack. In that slight moment when metal hit against metal, the feeling rose up inside of me once more, a strange feeling of familiarity.

It's as if... I've experienced this before.

Then, the weight of my own strength was redirected downwards, pulling the whole of my body with it as it sunk, pushed by my opponent's swordplay. As his blade tapped the floor slightly, my blade crashed at the side, my body thrown off balance by the sheer momentum of the redirection. When my eyes turned to Rei once more, his blade was already raised, never even stopping for a second. In a flick of a wrist, his katana blade sliced across my chest, a clean slash from my abdomen to my right shoulder. The cold steel mowed through my flesh, rupturing my skin. I could even feel the blade as it forced itself across my bones, the impact nearly breaking my ribs apart.

The feeling of my body cut up by a sword was something so stranger to me my body could not help but fall into a state of shock and fear, my actions desperate to get away from whatever was harming me by instincts alone. It took most of my remaining strength to just keep myself from running away. This feels completely different from any fight I've been in before, even those involved with the Famiglia.

"Gruargh! Gah! Augh!" My screams of pain replaced the clashing of metal that filled the entire warehouse as my steps stumbled back a few feet. My mind was numb, and every movement after feeling the cold steel and the fiery pain that burst out after was driven by my body's pure instinct alone. From the wound, my warm blood slowly flowed out, dyeing my shirt dark red and dripping onto the floor of the warehouse.

Throb. Ba-dump.

"Sergio! Idiot! You've got to stand!" When the heavy sound of my heart and my wounds, the loud throbbing ceased, the many voices of Kiera and the others filled my ears. They yelled and screamed for me to keep myself safe, to survive the fight. The pervert of a boss only laughed hysterically at his side, glued to that throne of his, the very sight gave me a sense of disgust. When my focus returned to the fight, Rei's eyes were as sharp as ever, and his attack continued without a single word, the blade swinging down on me again. With trembling hands, I raised my blade to block the incoming attack.

"Uragh!" My throat stung every time I gave a scream, but I still found myself screaming as the fight went on. My blade, raised horizontally, clashes with Rei's, forming a cross as my arms pushed against his strength. shock-waves running across every part of my body, and unimaginable pain burst from my hands, from the grip around the hilt of my blade, pain roars out like ferocious dragons, climbing up my arms. Before the pain made me gave way, I struggled and pushed his blade off of mine by overpowering him just ever so slightly.

In my distorted vision and muzzled hearing, a certain memory flashed into my mind amidst the pain, the desire and the adrenaline.

_It was one of the few days when I skipped school, having taken tutoring from Kiera. But of course, it wasn't any normal tutoring, it was all training. I had to condition my body to reach the proper muscle mass, to study rules and techniques which seemed almost ridiculous, impossible even and most importantly, to achieve the level of skill I need to protect my best friend. That doesn't mean it was all smooth when it comes to the real thing, after all, no one could adapt so easily to a complete change of lifestyle without a few hiccups here or there. And the memory was one of the first._

"_Get up." Kiera commanded, as I laid on the ground, stricken with bated breath and fire in my veins. The wounds all over my body swelled from the beating I got after my first spar with Kiera, who wiped me out in one minute flat. She stood before me, her eyes glaring with the ferocity of a lion, unarmed and barely worked up to a sweat. Forcing my trembling body up, I was met with an onslaught of attacks from Kiera and the many instruments she brought with her. Slowly, my body started dodging her strikes based on timing and feel, it was surprising._

"_That's right, never assume you know what's going to happen in a fight, and always anticipate and adapt!" Kiera's instructions were drilled into my tired mind as she threw three gigantic rocks my way, forcing me to jump to the sides, before a dining fork zipped past my eyes, barely missing my head by inches. The fork itself struck the rocky cliff behind me, and a good portion cracked and fell._

"_Fighting is never just strength, nor technique!"_

_All those things Kiera had been teaching me the last few months were drawn out from the painful situation I was in, reminding me the points of utmost importance._

"Take this!" I surprised myself by still able to form words with my voice, and threw a downward slash into Rei's shoulders, taking advantage of the fact he himself came to me. As expected, he easily dodges my slash by moving to the side, but at the same time, his steps bring him even closer towards me once more. That's right, whenever he conquers my attack, he always goes for a counter!

"_It's the ability to learn, to force change onto your body to survive!" Kiera's yelling only grew louder in the memories, as if driving me to come to of my fight on top._

"Got'cha!" Driven by a sudden surge of adrenaline, my voice was full of excitement. Leaving my sword in my right hand, I grabbed on to his left wrist with my free arm, locking him in place.

"What?" The surprise sounded genuine, but Rei never stopped his counter, the blade slashing across my right arm after he left the sword into his free hand as well. The cold metal touched and froze my skin once more, chewing into my flesh, drops of blood splashing on my shirt. Still following my plan, I tossed away my sword and used all the strength I could muster to pull him close.

"Uryargh!" Perhaps the pain was driving me nuts, but my scream just kept getting louder, more ferocious, more desperate each time I forced my throat to yell. When his face was but inches away, I pulled back my right arm, bleeding and dying out, with all my strength. With the sound of my own scream as my focus, my fist punched into his stomach, digging into his bones so much my fingers felt as though they would break right there.

"_It's the ability to control the situation, to have your senses comfortable enough to overcome whatever the opponents throw at you!" At that point, my eyes felt clearer, my movements faster._

"Guh! Cough!" The leader of the Kaijin Palm finally showed the expression of pain as he was struck, as the impact of my punch shook his whole body. Well, I'm not as strong as Amato when he's Awakened, so I only stopped his movements, stunning him right where he stood. On reflex, Rei swung his blade in another gigantic arc, this time at a speed much faster than before. Even as the air cried, I could somehow feel the power of the slash. With my movements dulled by my injuries, the sword sliced my knees up, cutting through the skin and nearly slicing through my tendons.

The convulsions and outburst from my knees made it difficult to move, but I ignored the pain and stood up, pushing my way forth towards the opposing duelist. It was one of the very rare moments where Rei was struck with pain, stunned and disoriented, so of course, I had to take advantage of that. Noticing my sword no longer in my hands, I placed them on Rei's shoulders, pulling him close. That's okay, I'm not so good at swordsmanship anyways!

"_I'm not teaching you how to fight!" Kiera roars out in her command, all while still assaulting me with her attacks. "I'm teaching you how to survive, how to stand as a beacon of hope for your comrades, how to shield them from enemy blows!"_

"_I'm teaching you how to become worthy of the Zanna Famiglia!"_

"Hrah!" I screamed out, pushing my head towards him to land the most painful headbutt I ever launched. Bone to bone, my skull collided with his, and it really felt as though a crack emerged across the surface of mine, sharp pain pulsing every time the crack kept splitting bigger. Letting go of his shoulders, my opponent was caught surprise by the sudden continuous assault, and he, himself, fell down to his back, bringing his right hand to his forehead.

"Kuh! Impossible, how are you still able to stand?" He roared out in confusion and anger. Perhaps he underestimated me, and never expected me to land a hit. Indeed, the pain spilling forth from my knees burned like hell, and the stinging was worse, but I decided to ignore the pain until I won this fight! Motivation could only go so far, as right after my steps took me to my sword and I picked it up, a wave of pain washed over the whole of my body, much worse than what I was feeling before. Every wound felt as though they were getting worse, and even those I sustained before the duel were coming back to haunt me.

Throb.

My arms, my chest, my knees, all the wounds throbbed and pulsed like an earthquake running through my body. My steps wobbled as I returned to face the leader of the Kaijin Palm, my sense of worry slowly building up. I truly had no idea if I could even hold out long enough to win the duel.

"Rei..." The girl held in check by Kiera, with her bright pink hair, cried out a whisper as she dodged into the chest of her comrade, whose serious eyes showed worry behind the strands of her purple hair. No doubt they don't wish to see their own friend hurt, and their reactions were dissuading me from putting down my opponent. That's right, the whole reason for this duel happening can be traced to me, it's all my fault. Suddenly, the guilt comes crashing back into my mind, weighing me down like an anvil.

"Darn it... This is what I deserve." I spoke out as I stood before my opponent, who was got on his knees. Instead of bringing down my sword on him, I ignored all pain from my right arm and raised my fingers. With trembling fingers, my sword was brought to my right pinkie finger instead, shocking and driving the crowds watching us into confusion. Rei looked up to me with a surprised face, the light of disbelief in his eyes.

"Sergio, what are you doing?" Kiera cried out from her side, her voice frantic and worried. Johann and the others looked the same, even Dante was struck with slight confusion on his face. Only Vito remained deadly serious, his smile vanished, as if he knew exactly what was happening.

"Yubitsume..." Rei looked as though he couldn't help speaking out the term for what I was doing, that he couldn't believe what was happening.

Yes, the term for cutting off one's pinkie finger in penance for a mistake. My father told me this is a ritual commonly executed by the Yakuzas, but the origins stemmed back to the age of the samurai. Because the last three fingers maintains the grip on a sword and determined the strength of your swing, losing parts of the pinkie could severely hinder and weaken one's attack, taken as a form of permanent payment for a something did wrong. To pay for it, the man gives up his skill and power, losing it for the rest of his life.

"Everything, all the trouble we went through today, it's all my fault! So... I'm willing to pay for it." My declaration was clear, giving it out to Kiera and the others. I hoped that with the ritual and winning the duel after that, I'll be able to earn forgiveness for what happened today.

"After this, I promise I'll come out of this duel victorious, I'll keep my best friend safe without getting the rest of the Famiglia hurt! I just hope I can still be forgiven." Closing my eyes, I spoke the words from my heart, making sure it's loud enough so that Kiera, Dante and Vito could hear me. The suddenness of the Yubitsume ritual caught everyone of guard, and silence assumed in the warehouse. The smell of my own blood was slowly filling up the area, replacing the metallic scent lingering from the metal crates and materials all around us.

"Ha ha ha ha, well said, now cut it off already!" The pervert of a boss gave out his comment while laughing at his throne. At his act, his men started chuckling as well. Dammit, I didn't say all that just to hear that toad's voice!

"No, Sergio, Amato wouldn't want you to do this!" Aria's sweet voice was changed into one of fear and horror, crying out from her side. I could see her eyes getting red, but she held her tears back the best she could. Darn, I didn't want to see anyone crying either!

"It has to be done... I can't forgive myself otherwise..." I muttered out the words, looking down to the ground in shame. Yes, I had decided to carry on with it, I doubt there's anything they can say to change my mind. The fear of the sharp blade digging into my skin welled up within me, forcing me to wince my eyes. I was surprised Rei didn't raise his blade at me as I did, all he did was lay there on his knees, watching with his sharp eyes. I couldn't make out his expression. The cold steel dug into my flesh even as I barely pressed strength onto the blade, and my blood was already trickling out, the wet crimson substance joining the other pools of blood on the floor.

Here goes.

"Wait, stop!"

The voice was familiar, but at the same time, it caught me and the others by pure surprise. Gasps were given out as we turned our eyes to the source of the voice, which instantly brought a small sense of relief to us all.

"Ngh... Please, don't do it, Sergio!" Amato cried out for my well being even when he's bound in the enemies' hands. He must have woken up from the influence of the alcohol. His pleas were so loud it instantly brought all eyes on him, as he puts every effort into his voice, struggling as his arms were tied behind him, as his collar was tugged by the other two members of the Kaijin Palm. "I've heard your reasons, and I don't agree to them! This is not your fault! We did the right thing!" My best friend kept screaming out ,desperate for me to stop. The very sight was painful, and yet, there was a shimmer of light lit within me from the sight of him waking up and able to move.

"But it's my weakness that got you into this mess, that landed you in enemy hands!" For some reason, I found myself arguing back, as if I was too stubborn to agree with Amato. His kindness was being too forgiving, my own way of thinking disagreed. "And I put you and the rest of our Famiglia in danger because of it. I got the rest of us hurt because of my own inability!" As soon as they popped into my mind, screaming out, I pushed the words out of my mouth, yelling back at the boss.

Amato only raised his brows in surprise, before closing them as if scolding himself. Turning to look at Johann and the others, his eyes grew more serious, more worried before he turned back at me.

"If you got everyone else hurt, then why is it that Kiera and the others, even those enemies we had in our hands, look fine? Why is it that the only one bleeding pools of blood before me... is you?" Again, Amato asked out his question in a saddening tone. The truth of his words pierced into me like an arrow pierced my heart. When I looked down on my own body, the wounds, the cut and the tears were horrible.

"I'm fine, Sergio. You didn't get me hurt at all." Amato's voice was like a soft stroke on my head, a welcoming feel. When I saw his smile again, it made me falter in the resolution of my own decision. When I looked to him once more, the pervert boss now stood in front of him to my surprise. Kiera and the others got restless when they caught sight of him so close to our Boss. Suddenly, he sends punches into Amato's stomach, his movements wild and feral.

"You're fine, huh? That's a cocky thing to say, shouldn't you only say that when you're back with your little group?" He hissed out the words, his punches never slowing down in their speed. The pervert looked as though he was savoring every bit of the moment before stopping.

"Amato!" Hinata cried out, our new friend concerned for him as well. Kiera, Vito and Dante glared towards the one hurting Amato, exuding their murderous intent once more, but stayed their hand because of my duel.

"Guh! I'm fine... Sergio... I've taken worse hits before..." Amato finally spoke out once more after gathering his strength, still putting on that smile for me even as he took more punches to his stomach and his face. "I knew you would do this sort of thing, you know? With your loyalty and honor, you weren't meant for the underworld, that's why I didn't want to involve you with issues from the Zanna Famiglia. I wanted you to live your own life, carried by your own beliefs and values." Amato admitted with a few bruises to his face, sounding regretful, as if he's blaming himself for what I was doing.

"Hngh..." The sight of my best friend pounded by that man made me grip my sword even harder, pressing more strength onto the blade. In turn, the blood came pouring forth even faster than before, the blade already cutting onto the bone. When Amato saw that, his blue eyes grew bigger, and he became frantic.

"Can't you see how selfish you're being by going through with this? Punishment or no, the Zanna Famiglia never does this sort of things to our own members!" Amato cried out in both anger and concern, worry written all over his face. Ignoring the man striking him every few minutes, he continued his worry for me, and his efforts to draw me away from doing the Yubitsume never died down.

"Well..." Vito sarcastically cuts in to the conversation, raising his finger to his cheeks as if he disagrees to what Amato said, only to get slapped by the Black Valkyrie.

"Vito!" She lectured with but one word, and it was all she needed to shut him up.

"What do you think will happen if you completed the ritual? Do you think any of us want to see you suffer the pain? To see you crippled for the rest of your life?" Amato's reasons came screaming out once more, as his struggle against his captors grew more violent, so much that they had to beat him down to stop him. "You're Gina's dear friend, and she's back in Italy, waiting for us to come home. When we do, I don't want her seeing her friend without a pinkie or any part of his body for that matter!"

"I still have a lot of experiences to share with my best friend! To laugh and smile, to fight side by side like we did in that alley back then! When we knock our elbows together, I don't want to see you missing that finger! You may not suffer from losing that one part of your body, but I'm not willing to take that chance, so don't you dare go finish that stupid ritual!" My best friends poured out his feelings into his words, so much that I had no choice but to pull down my sword.

"Sniff... Sniff..." Before I knew it, a feeling overwhelmed my body, warming up my heart as my eyes went wet. That was when my desire and guilt went away completely. Standing there, silence once again assumed the warehouse, as my tears flowed down my cheeks. Amato is the only guy I know who can say something like that without feeling the least bit embarrassed.

"I'm sorry..." Unconsciously, my apology came mumbling out, as I wiped away the tears from my eyes, it was not the time to cry.

"It's okay. C'mon Sergio, you can still win this fight, I know you can! Bring on the reversal! That's an order!" Amato calmly commanded even as he saw my injuries, placing all of his hopes on me with confidence. The word he said sparked a revelation within my mind. Reversal? Reverse? That's it, that's why this all feels so familiar! With that thought in mind, a confident smile stretched across my face.

Taking my stance once more, I raised my blade against my opponent. Rei was watching the whole thing, and after he saw the conviction in my eyes, he shut his eyes as if he completely understood our little exchange, and got to his feet with a smile as well, ready to continue the duel. A memory was slowly being dug up from my memories, the one recollection that would give me the method to pave my way to victory. Compared to the duel before up until now, I never felt so sure of winning this duel. Raising my blade to the side of my face once more, I gave out my last words before I resumed the fight.

"I'm sorry, leader of the Kaijin Palm. My Boss has given me the order. You're gonna have to lose this duel."

* * *

**With the bond they had reminded by the Boss himself, Sergio tosses away all guilt and now fight with unwavering conviction! Whoo! This chapter certainly turned out better than I expected! Just what is it that Sergio remembered? How is his victory certain? Tell me how you feel about this chapter in your reviews and keep your eyes open for the next update to find out!**


	53. Swallow Reverse

**Author's Note:**

**Wow, this chapter has been going on for a while now! Let's see... it's been twelve chapters or so since this arc started. Come on, it's time for the story to progress! Perhaps you guys figured out what Sergio is going to do? I can only think of one technique in history that's famous with the name 'reverse' in it. Here we go.**

* * *

**Chapter 52: Swallow Reverse**

**A Sacred Code.**

The sound of my heartbeat, the throbbing of my wounds, they were all coming back. Each side was getting restless, and yelling came from the sea of men that had us all surrounded. With Amato now awake and watching my duel, I raised my blade, having taken up a stance I never knew I had. Kiera and the others looked downright furious when they saw how that pervert of a boss threw his punches on while Amato laid bound, and I can't say I'm feeling any different. Rei's eyes instantly glared at me when he saw my movements, but in the light of his eyes, there were a hint of uncertainty.

Right, with the idea Amato given me, I can win this! With the smell of my blood rising up my nose once more, the particular memory began playing in my mind, the images slowly becoming clear.

_It was one of those days when I could take a day off from my training, so I was going back home with Johann. Kiera had began speaking about the guy, saying how he was struck by amnesia one day, after he and Amato came back alive in a struggle against the wardens of the Mafia underworld, the infamous Vindice. It seemed Kiera caught sight of the guy in the Kitchen one day, playing around with a fruit knife. Even as a joke, Johann was able to slice through the wooden chopping board with little effort, clean through the center. No doubt Kiera was angry when he tried to hide it._

_Kiera told me, in between trainings, that even though he lost almost every piece of memory about himself, his swordsmanship is still there, and according to her words, Johann may be one of the strongest Swordsman in Italy right now. It was imperative that we have him by the Famiglia's side, even if he doesn't wish to join us. _

_That day, I asked about a certain sword technique, a legendary one from Japan. To my surprise, he actually said he knew how to use it, after I told him all about the particular technique._

"_No way, I don't believe you." I was left skeptical, as we entered the backyard of the Zanna Mansion, where we met up so that he could show me how it's performed._

"_Well, maybe it's not exactly that technique, but I feel like I've done it before. It's all muscle memory, though..." Johann replied as he draw out a katana blade from its sheath, and flourishes the weapon with both skill and precision._

"_Uh, where'd cha get that?" I asked out to him after seeing a real weapon placed in his hand, a sword no doubt. With his memories a blur and the skills and strength of a Master Swordsman in his hand, I had the feeling the yard might not stay a yard after we leave that day. Truth be told, after the amnesia hit him, Johann became a lot different than he was before. The most prominent personality change is how he's so laid back and relaxed all the time, as opposed to how serious he was. He doesn't seem to take anything seriously anymore._

"_I borrowed it from the Mansion, you won't believe the stuff Amato has hidden in there!" Johann exclaimed with raised brows while checking the condition of the weapon in his hands._

"_All right, all right, just show it to me." Thinking we've been wasting enough time, I urged Johann to hurry, still not believing he could even perform the technique._

"_Okay." He answered, crouching his back slightly as he grabbed onto his sword with his two hands, much like a samurai you see in movies. "Two slash in opposite directions, cutting off the opponent's way of escape." Suddenly, the air became really heavy, as if the energy is drawn in by Johann himself, sucking up in preparation of the legendary technique. Throwing the slash, the sword flew in a huge arc downwards, cutting into the ground and leaving a mark before he twisted the sword and its blade and slicing into the air back up, the motion of the attack reminding me of a swallow's tail._

"_That's it..." I mumbled out the words as I stood surprised, and in awe. From the speed of the attack, the legend must be all true, no one would've been able to dodge the technique without getting hit. For the slight moment the attack was carried out, it felt as though the ground shook. Truly, it must've been Sasaki Kojirou's ace in the hole. And the name of the technique is..._

"_Tsubame Gaeshi." Johann whispered softly as he completed the attack, before putting the sword back into its sheath._

With the memory fresh in my mind, I threw my slash once more, no longer screaming out desperately. Eyes following my opponent's blade, I was searching for the right time to utilize the technique. Even though I only saw it once before, I have all the confidence in the world to know I can perform the move. One look is usually all I need. The fatigue in my muscles were building up, I could feel the gnawing pain lingering with each second passed. It felt as if they would lock themselves up at anytime. I'll have to end this quick!

"Shink."

With one swift motion, Rei's blade was raised to block my own, holding off my strength with his two hands on his sword. With my faltering strength, there was no chance for me to overpower his block, and so we were locked with equal power at each side before we were forced to jump back and away from each other. His eagle eyes completely focused on me, Rei dashed forward with blinding speed, thrusting his blade to pierce into me.

Throb.

At another pulse of feeling and pain, I pushed my legs and jumped to the sides, before raising my blade to the side of my face, assuming the stance I saw in my memory. There it is, now's the time! Without a second thought, I pulled in all of my focus, drawing in as much energy as I could to stabilize my condition and my breathing. Suddenly, nothing but silence leaked out of me like an aura. There was no room for mistakes.

"I don't believe it, he's doing it!" Johann's voice, all surprised with a touch of being impressed, only served as an encouragement for me. As soon as Rei's eyes lit up,I swung down my sword, the largest arc I've ever swung, in a diagonal fashion. As expected, the only way to avoid getting damaged by my attack was to dodge to the sides, and so Rei jumped to my right. As he did, my swing never stopping, followed after him as I leaned forward, before pulling my sword up in another gigantic arc. The steel would come into contact, slicing into my opponent as my hands dragged it through his body.

"Swoosh, shing." My sword, with it's monstrous speed, sliced through air itself, the sound crying out as the enormous swing came to an end. I don't believe it, he dodged the technique that was supposed to hit no matter what!

"What?" I was struck by surprise, and that was my mistake. When my eyes searched to see where he disappeared to, he fazed into the scene on top of me, plunging his blade down at me and forcing me to go defensive. The wight of his attack was so heavy that the moment I raised my sword to block it and the plunging slash connected, I was pushed down to one knee. Arms shaking, a surge of adrenaline helped me push him off, and the two of us jumped to the sides once more.

Darn it, how did he dodge that technique? The Tsubame Gaeshi is supposed to be undodgeable precisely because the slash after the first goes in the direction where the opponent is supposed to jump to, he should've been cut!

!

That's right, with his crazy speed, he must have moved faster than I thought, jumping up into the air to dodge the slashes that would've rend through his flesh if he stayed on ground level! Well, that just means I have to go faster! As Rei landed on his feet, he immediately raised his blade once more, his presence changing to one far more deadly than before. It was truly the feel of an assassin that was going to take my life.

"That was close. I can't afford any more surprises!" His words were stern and strong, and as soon as they ended, he lunged towards me with his insane speed, pulling his katana to his side, held by his two hands. In an instant, he was right in front of me, his face emotionless but his sharp, serious eyes.

"Kenjutsu: Swarm of Arrows." After the name was given out, Rei vanished before my eyes, vanishing as he distorted, just like before. Then, I was assaulted by what felt like a dozen tugs, pushed back and forth by an invisible force. When the last one turned me to the back, Rei re-appeared, his blade drawn out by his right arm, red blood all over his blade. Wait, is that my blood? What the heck?

"He attacked so quickly you didn't see the strikes, you couldn't feel the blows!" Kiera gave me her analysis, shouting it out as loud as she could.

"G-" But when her words reached me, the outcome of the attack had reached its full effect. "G-gragh! Augh!" Screaming out, the feeling of swords by the dozen cutting into me stung the whole of my body, each swing grazing and slicing my skin apart, chewing down on my flesh. There was no indication of the blade, no feel of the cold metal, just a burst of fire, burning my wounds as they appeared, one after another in quick succession. Like a disease erupting from my body, the wounds seemed to sprout, my clothes seemed to tear on their own, Frankly, it was very, very frightening as I watched my own body broke down in pain.

"Hah.. Cough... Argh!" Then, the assault of a million stakes being driven into my flesh, piercing through my body. Each blow felt blunt, puncturing into my bones. Tensing my body only made it feel as though my bones would break at the barrage. I was left completely dumbstruck even as I struggled against the effect of the technique. How the hell can something like this attack even exist? It sounds ridiculous, but it was the fact that it has struck my body. When the pain began to die down, my body became so heavy, I felt as though I couldn't move anymore.

But, even with the feeling of my legs gone, I pushed on, refusing to fall to the ground. I couldn't afford to lose this duel, my will did not allow it.

"You're still standing? What kind of monster are you? Cough!" Rei spoke the truth, as he looked at me with disbelief while coughing out and getting into fits. I assumed he must have low constitution, he can't take many hits, that's why his speed is so fast.

Throb.

Nonetheless, the pain from my wounds, the warm blood flowing out, were all distorting my vision, rending on my focus. It reminded me that I most likely won't be able to fight on for much longer. Feeling of the rest of my body was slowly fading as well. Is this it? Is this all I can do? I think I have enough strength for one more try at the technique. My eyes, having needed to keep pushing my eyelids from closing, watched as the leader of the Kaijin Palm pounced on me once more, closing in with the same, lightning fast speed. My legs refused to listen to me, so all I could do was take the attack head on.

"Sergio! What are you doing?" Kiera cried out for me to move, anger and worry in the tone of her voice. I felt bad for making her feel that way, but my body doesn't seem to be listening to me anytime soon. Johann, Aria and Hinata also yelled out to me, but their voices escaped my ears as my hearing got distorted as well. Though Vito and Dante had their eyes to the ground, I couldn't help but sense as though they were feeling worried as well.

"He's stopped moving! His eyes are blank!" It was my best friend's turn, and his worry was the biggest. I didn't need to look to know how he was acting, struggling his way in his captor's hands out of concern for me.

Anger and disappointment was slowly rising within me. I felt as though I spent all that effort to pull of stupid stunts like calling the duel just to fall here, was nothing but a stupid, pitiful farce. When my sight cleared for a second, and I saw Amato's expression, I began to think back within that one second before Rei struck me. Think back on exactly why I'm so fixated on serving the Zanna Famiglia, and helping Amato. Is it because he's my best friend? That he saved my life? Is it because I'm just following the Bushido code?

That was when Amato came into mind, his smile, the way he does all he can for his Famiglia, how he never complained about the position forced upon him. I guess I was just jealous. I envied him for being such a great guy, and I want to strive to be like him, and to stand by him as his right hand man whenever he needs me.

That's why I was so desperate to do all I can to solve this mistake I made, to make sure I'm the only one getting hurt, while the others remained safe. As right hand man, I felt that it was my duty, that if I could do it alone, the other members need not lift a finger. Kiera, Vito, Dante, Johann, Aria even our new friend Hinata, as long as Amato welcomes them with open arms, I would do all I can to protect them. That is what I decided, the oath I chose to adhere to, by my own Bushido Code.

The chains weighing down on my mind seemed to vanish as I reconfirmed my beliefs, and I was able to jump to the sides, with strength I never knew I had. My body felt light again, touch and feeling rushed back into me like the torrents of a river. Dodging the strike, I was met with a multitude of reactions, gasps of awe and surprise from the Famiglia, the stare of disbelief from Rei, and shock coming from everyone else.

"Swoosh." The wind could be felt as it was shifted by the coming of the slash, with Rei stopping beside me as his attack missed. Turning around, my body moved faster than my mind, performing the techniques once more. Only this time, it was easier, my vision is clear. The same slash was swung from the left, the giant arc aiming for my opponent. Clear as day, I watched him hop to the right, already getting used to the technique. With the change of direction of my slash came the heavy toll, but even that was conquered with ease.

When the slash would cut into the enemy, Rei kicked the ground hard in sharp motion, jumping into the air. Unlike before, perhaps it was my own skills improving, or Rei slowing down, but his figure did not distort like before. I watched as he pushed himself into the air with the same, unbelievable speed. And that was when I pulled my sword back almost immediately, taking a stance once more. If I can't cut him with the technique, then I just have to go faster and catch up! At the same time, the memory continued.

"_Tsubame Gaeshi. Hm, what does that mean in English?" Johann asked out innocently as he rested after performing the legendary technique, looking as though he had already began to lose all interest in it. That's right, the other name for the technique was..._

"Hragh! Swallow Reverse!" I screamed out the name with all my might as I shoot out another slash overhead, closing all points of escape. Pushing with all to match his speed, I staked my will into that final attack, certain it would end the duel. My blade caught my opponent in mid-jump, and my hands met with resistance as I forced it through the entirety of his chest, catching him by surprise and grinding through his muscles with my blade.

Stunned by my attack, Rei fell and crashed behind me, motionless. But, I knew for a fact that he would not die from such an attack.

"Rei!" I could hear the voice of his friends, his comrades, crying out his name in worry. Even those who held on to Amato, keeping him bound, seemed distraught in their movements. However, as I turned to face him, Rei struggled on his feet, surprised and confused at why he was still alive. My only answer was to show him my katana. It had but a tiny portion of blood tainting the center portion of the blade, but, the blood only landed on the backside of the sword, the dull edge.

"I won't be the one taking your life today, not in front of your friends." For some reason, I felt as though I needed to make the declaration clear, and with that, I threw my blade on the ground. The sword slid to Rei's side in silence. Rei gave me no reaction, and only turned his eyes on the ground, as if in shame. All of a sudden, he dropped to his knees, pulling out his blade and placing it before him.

"I lose... and thank you." He replied while his head still faced the floor. And just like that, I won the duel.

"Hey, hey, hey!" An unwanted voice screamed out at us, just as the tension at both sides was starting to fade. It was none other than that failure of a Yakuza boss, now standing at Amato's side, with an obvious frustrated expression on his face. "This is the fabled Kaijin Palm? The one who completes their mission no matter what? The shadowed, monstrous left hand of the Yakuza? Is this a joke?" Venting his anger with insults, he grew agitated at the outcome of the duel. At his voice, his men were driven into restlessness once more, arming themselves and picking up their weapons, yelling and cheering like a bunch of hooligans.

Suddenly, from his coat, the pervert of a boss pulled out a pistol, loaded it and shoved it against Amato's temple in swift motion. "Looks like the saying's true, you want something done, you do it yourself." He spoke out the words with a crazed tone. It doesn't seem impossible for him to pull the trigger right now!

"Amato!" Hinata cried out in shock and fear, worry all over her eyes. When I turned to the Boss, he had his eyes shut, trying to stay calm even in such a situation, but I could see the beads of sweat flowing down the side of his head. Not a second later, a dozen other guns were locked and loaded, as Kiera, Vito and Dante pulled out their own. With a giant shield in one hand, Kiera pointed her weapon at the enemy boss, her eyes all flared up. Vito pulled out two combat daggers, aiming it at those with more heavier weapons, such as chain-guns and machine-guns, while Dante pulled out twin pistols, pointing them at those who were targeting Kiera and Vito.

"Daggers, you think this is a game?" That monster yelled out, partly laughing at Vito when he saw the weapons. Pulling back his weapon, Rei quickly got up to his feet, preparing himself for when the bulk of the incoming storm hits.

"Eh, guns are too slow." Vito gave out, a witty ignorant tone to his words, even in such a dangerous situation. All the while, his eyes were kept switching from one target to another, with a smile on his face.

"Ha ha, that's the most retarded answer I've ever heard!" The boss of the Yakuza laughed out loud, pushing his pistol and twisting it on Amato's temple, twitching his trigger finger. At his reaction, his men began lowering their guard, laughing together with him. I only shook my head in disappointment. Such bad conduct, and these were supposed to be the infamous Yakuza Crime Syndicates? Planning my next move, my eyes landed on the katana I tossed to the ground, before turning to Johann. Signaling him the sword, he immediately understood me, and replied with a slight nod.

"Try me." Vito gave out his taunt, his wry smile never fading, his hands tight on his weapons. Pointing his dagger at the man pointing his pistol at Amato, Vito seemed intent on riling him up.

"Why you little-" Before he could finish, he pulled his weapon and aimed it at Vito, only to have a dagger lodged through his wrist, cutting through bone and flesh, so much that the blade actually appeared at the other side, causing the man to drop his weapon. It was so fast, I could barely hear it, let alone see the attack. "Gah! Argh!" The screams of pain surprised the sea of armed men, when they realized their boss had been struck.

"Shik. Shirtch. Swoosh." Next thing I knew, the most heavily armed men were down, with a dozen ballistic daggers driven through their arms, their chest and their head. Instant deaths brought upon them by the Angel of Life. One of the huge thugs who wielded the huge machine-guns fell, and from the shock, pulled down on the trigger, blasting and firing his weapon off, whose bullets struck the roofs and everything around him. Followed by the initiating shots, Kiera and Vito fired down on the rest of them, striking down man after man in the blink of an eye. But, still the number overwhelmed us.

I crouched down in reflex to make sure I wouldn't get hit, and watched as Rei, as well as the girls we had in our hands, whom we released, jumped to Amato's side to shield him from the chaos. Scrambling forth, my hands picked up the sword I had my eyes on, and I tossed it with all my might at Johann. "Johann, now!" I screamed out as loud as I could, to make sure he could hear me over the gunshots.

"He he, awesome, a sword!" As laid back as usual, Johann gave off an usually innocent expression of excitement when a blade landed in his hands. Then, without a warning, he vanished, just as Rei did before, maybe even faster.

"Argh! Urgh! Gragh!" When I looked around, the gunfire had stopped, as the sea of men were assaulted by a barrage of slashes, slicing them up at a speed so fast my eyes couldn't keep up no matter how much I tried. Soon, their feral screams of pain ended, replaced with an eerie silence befitting of the night. Strangely, the Zanna Famiglia, as well as the Kaijin Palm, remained unscratched.

"I don't believe it... Demon's Bane Whirlwind." Rei spoke out the name in utter disbelief, as he moved his eyes to witness the entirety of the attack. The light in his eyes were those of awe, he looked genuinely impressed. When Johann re-appeared, he stopped with a skip or two, like he barely performed the technique and kept it under control, but I think he just didn't put in that much effort.

"Kenjutsu: Demon's Bane Whirlwind." Softly, he whispered out the name of the unbelievable technique he just did with a smile, like it was nothing. With the conflict finally settled, I walked towards Amato, and tore off the chains that bound him. Aria and Hinata greeted the return of the Boss with hugs, while Kiera blushed as she turned away, looking as if she wanted to as well, but her personality, as well as her rank in the Famiglia, was holding her back.

"Ha ha, go on, hug him already!" I couldn't help but urge Kiera when I saw her acting like that, but she only slapped away my hand when I tried to push towards Amato, turning away from me as well. Vito and Dante only remained in the background as usual, but the two of them had their own smiles. I think they were at least glad that Amato was safe.

"Gah! H-hey! You're all gonna pay for what you did today! You're all marked for death now!" We must have forgotten all about him, as the pervert of a boss limped towards us, his hands crippled. He was no longer a threat. In his anger, he forced his body onwards, only to be stopped by the Kaijin Palm. Rei, with his back facing us, got in front of him, his katana in hand.

"Enough." Rei's voice first came out but a whisper. Perhaps he was still regaining his strength from the duel, but even with his back towards me, I could feel the anger building up within him.

"What did you say?" Refusing to adhere to what was said, the man continued his disgraceful performance.

"Enough!" Finally, Rei burst forth in anger, throwing a gigantic slash with his sword. In a flash, the man was cut into two, the pieces of his body falling down to the ground, dripping with blood as it splashed, exploding out on the ground. Aria and Hinata looked away when it happened, but none of us had any objections to what was done, for it was no concern to the Mafia. With the quick death of their weak boss, the few remaining members still alive ran away in fear.

When I stepped out of the warehouse, the light of the moon shining down on me and the cold stinging my wounds, it felt as if a part of my life had passed. In the dark, winter sky, there were no clouds and no snow falling, just a silent, empty night. But from that silence was peace, for which I was thankful for. With Amato on my shoulders, barely being able to pull his head up, I pushed forth with one careful step after another. Kiera and the others were slow in their steps as well, following at my side. I guess we were all just happy we managed to get out of the warehouse with Amato safe.

"Ugh... Why can't I keep my eyes open?" Amato gave out, swinging his arms about like a madman. It was probably because of the sake, he's in a hangover now, I think. When we saw him like that, we couldn't help but burst out laughing. At the corner of my eyes, as we walked a good distance away from the warehouse, I saw the Kaijin Palm standing on top of the building we were in, looking down at us.

"Zanna Famiglia." Rei's voice boomed through the silent night, brining caution to our movements as we turned towards him. The five members of his group stood behind him, their hoods over their heads. But, none of them was armed, and their presence did not scream danger. "Don't worry, we'll make sure nothing happens." Rei told us, with the moon hanging behind him. When Vito looked towards them, the two smaller hooded figures seemed to dodge behind Rei on reflex, it was a funny sight. "Somehow, I got a feeling we'll meet again." The leader of the Palm gave out, before they vanished into the night.

"... Who will meet what again?" Amato gave out with a slurred speech, as if he had little idea what he was talking about. When I noticed the weight pushing down on me gone, he suddenly appeared by Hinata's side hugging down on her. For once, I saw our new friend flustered with emotions, as a red wave washed over her face, but, she did nothing. She didn't even push him away.

"Lord Amato! Cease this shameful behavior!" Kiera suddenly burst out, her face all crimson red, trying her best to tug on Amato's arms and pull him away.

"It's okay, I don't mind." Hinata curtly spoke out after a few seconds of silence, recovering from her daze. From her tone, I think she's just trying to mess with Kiera. And so, our little group left the scene with smiles and laughs, calling and teasing out to each other. Hinata and Kiera ended up in a little tug of war to see who should help Amato back to the hotel, while the rest of us did little to help, because we couldn't choose a side. Amidst the laughter, the throbbing of my wounds seemed and felt non-existent.

I was just glad we're all safe.

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**Strange that so many things happened in one day, huh? I think the last five chapters only covered the Zanna Famiglia's second day in Japan! Did you guys like Sergio's development? Don't worry, there's more exciting things to come! Praise, comment and criticize in your reviews! Yes, I'm catching up and finishing that pile of chapters I had accumulating! Keep your eyes out for the next update!**


	54. Burning II

**Author's Note:**

**I'm on a roll, and so are my updates! The situation has been cleared, and in story, everything's quiet again. All the while, from the first dream until now, Amato has been getting the same progressive images each night, and this is one of them! Enjoy!**

* * *

**Chapter 53: Burning II**

The same, monstrous eye. It was grotesque, disgusting, it looked and felt unnatural. A wave of fear, horror and nausea. I wondered if it was my own, or that of the girl's whose eyes showed the images I saw. Perhaps it didn't matter, that the two of us were bonded in consciousness. The inside of that closet, though big and spacious, was stuffy and extremely hot from the flames engulfing everywhere outside. Lying on her back, the girl watched as the figure got closer and closer, step after step. She could've gone through any form of suffering, but the look of that eye was too much.

"Hah.. Hahah.. Ha.." Her breath came at strange speed, for it was all beyond her control. Gotta stay quiet! At the thought, her hands cupped her mouth once more, shutting herself up through force. When she saw the jewel her father entrusted to her glow and pulsed with energy and light, she quickly wrapped her fingers around the object before the monstrous figure outside could catch sight of it.

At the other side of the door, the man inched closer, his monstrous eye staring through the opening, lifeless. Did he actually noticed the girl? Or had he caught sight of the light coming from the stone? Ever since a few seconds before, the man had gone all quiet, and that scared the girl even more. Like an animal, she was trapped, pushed to a corner. She didn't know what to do. The state of her mind soon merged with mine, and the impact was so paralyzing, it was unlike anything I felt before. In all my life, I had never been so afraid. On instinct, my mind screamed out in desperation. I need to run, now!

Ba-dump.

The sound of heartbeat spiked as the man's fingers suddenly appeared, latching onto the door. Metal, the bloodied metal axe appeared in the girl's thoughts, she was afraid of that crazed man plunging that piece of metal through her, she didn't want to see her own skin and flesh torn and ripped off her bones. But, as fearful as she was, she refused to shut her eyes, because in the darkness, her fear would only get bigger. Her knees shaking as convulsions rumbled through her body, she was frustrated at all that's happened, how she had no idea what was really going on.

"Well then, maybe it's not such a waste coming up here after all..." The man was horrible, joking in the sea of death caused by him alone. Just as he was about to ripped the door to the closet off its hinges, another sound rang off first.

"Crash!" The crashing of objects, the breaking of glass. All the windows must've shattered. Instantly, the girl remembered the meter tall glass panes of the office which formed its windows, that one could look down onto the city through them. She remembered how she used to spend time with her parents, just gazing at the little people going on with their lives. To our surprise, both mine and the girl's, the man, with twin axes in his hands, immediately turned around, surprised at the sudden blasting of sound.

"Maybe setting the fire wasn't such a good idea, it seems the building's not going to hold up for much longer..." The man spoke to himself as he stood there watching, his back to the girl. Grabbing the opportunity, I was surprised to find my vision moving once more, the girl quietly pushing her way to the open elevator to escape, despite the sharp pain throbbing from her limbs, her muscles. The only thing in her eyes, was the doors of the elevator, wide open and still tainted with pools of blood.

B-dump.

Her will was astounding, she kept her focus even through fear and shock, pushed on by her adrenaline. When the walls of the elevator enclosed around her, she stopped for a moment to catch her breath, before turning her eyes back through the doors. There, I caught sight of an image that would've left my mind scarred. The murderer of her parents walked on, one step after another, slowly. His head slightly tilted to the side, he had a broken smile tearing across his face, and that monstrous eye, the lines running across it glowing in purple light. He was going to kill her! Even with the few meters between them, the girl sensed the danger, and scrambled to the side, before a long dagger flew past her eyes. Driven by another round of shock, I saw her hands slammed down on the button that would take her to the ground floor.

As the doors swiftly closed, the sight of the man disappeared, her back was pushed against the wall, as something wet flowed out of her eyes.

"Sniff... Sob... S-sniff." She cried, her tears came out slow. There was much grief. The sight of her parents just killed off right before her, cut up into pieces like that was too much, and she refused to believe what she saw with her own two eyes. Logic and desire clashed, one kept screaming out that her parents were dead, the other just wanted to stay and be at her parents' side. Amidst the salty tears was the metallic smell of blood, fresh blood. When her fingers reached up to touch her face, they became all bloody. The dagger had cut her skin as it flew past her, the stinging pain confirmed her thoughts.

I felt her grief, the wave of emotions, as if I was there, perhaps inside her mind, taking in all that affected her. There were so many things pulling her down, trying to convince her to just close her eyes and stop all she was doing. I felt my body burning, crying out for water. My arms and legs begged for rest, the pain gnawing and chewing on her muscles. My mind was exhausted. The sights and smell around me was unbearable.

But she refused. Her eyes landing on the dagger, her tiny hand gripped its hilt. Just how old is she? From what I saw, she could be no older than five years old. Even lifting the dagger was quite a challenge for her, the weight pressing down on her hands as she picked it up, but she held it close. I was just impressed by her tenacity.

"Doom!" Suddenly, a rumble could be felt from where she sat. Followed by another.

"Krank!" The harsh sound of metal snapping burst forth, before a massive weight pulled down the elevator. The girl was wrecked with confusion, but I knew what happened. The man must have cut the wires, and gravity was pulling us down. Clinging to the side of the wall, I felt her light of hope slowly dying out as her tears kept flowing forth. Before the crash hit me, my vision had gone dark. It was too much, the chaos and her emotions, and the girl fainted.

But the images did not end there.

First, the warmth of the jewel radiated to the surroundings, touching my skin and comforting me like a gentle caress. Then, my touch landed on stone and sand, rubble hitting my arms, elbows and knees, scraping the skin. That was when I realized the girl must have already been moving, even as her sight was still filled with darkness. I couldn't count on my sense of smell to tell me anything, as each breath only got a horrid blend of dust and blood surging up to my brain. If anything, it was hindering the girl as she forced herself to survive.

When her eyes opened, she was already out of the elevator, which had crashed itself on the ground floor. Limping, each hold on the giant pieces of rubble that had fallen around her sent waves of pain through my touch, while her right hand kept her grip on the dagger. When something wet flowed from her forehead and into her eyes, she just raised her arm to wipe it away, ignoring the red liquid that stained her skin and clothes.

"Ugh... Uh.." Slowly, she made her way out of the building, trying her best not to throw up from the bodies that littered the lobby. The scene beyond the walls had completely changed. The fires raged on, but the feeling of life had been snuffed out from the streets. With every few steps through the burned paths, my vision was turned back, almost frantically, as the girl kept checking out whether the man with the axe had followed her. As each glance only met with an empty street and silence, I could feel paranoia rising within her. Somehow, she knew the man would be more than capable of hunting her down.

"Hah... Puff... Hah..." It was painful to hear the girl's voice, the challenge she had to go through. With each step, her vision blurred, her focus wavering as she moved. The fire around her, burning down the buildings, the very place she grew up in, crackles as each ember was formed, as the flames fight to maintain themselves, before ultimately snuffing out. The screams of the populace was long gone, and all she was hearing was the burning of the fire. In the heat, I could feel a strange sense of yearning. When they were there, the screams were unbearable, but now that they're gone, the girl wanted to hear them again badly.

Because even as they suffered, hearing their voices would mean she was not alone in the city, that she could be there to help them, or they could help her. Wandering through the streets, I was hit by an immense feel of vulnerability because of how alone the girl felt. It was a feeling the girl hated the most, even when compared to her pain and her fear.

Before I knew it, her eyes opened up to an open field, dull, green grass as far as her eyes could see. To her back, as she turned, I saw a huge blaze of orange, the fireball burning that was her city, the place she grew up in. I felt her muscles ached, crying out even as she rested, after stopping her movement for a second, staring at what was her home.

"Chink. Chink. Chink." In the distance, the sound of metal chains and accessories hitting against each other could be heard, instantly striking fear into my own heart. The vision cleared, and I saw through the girl's eyes the same man from the building before, his short, ash blond hair left in a buzz-cut. The bloodstained axe still in his hands, he paced towards the girl with the same crazed smile, the excitement even affecting his breathing, causing it to become irregular. The very sight sent shivers down the girl's spine.

"Ugh... Hih..." The sound of struggle came out of the girl's voice, ash she scrambled on all fours, desperate to get away, only to have her body bail on her, her arms and legs locked by pain and exhaustion. Actually, her efforts for the past hour or so was way beyond what a child could do, so maybe her body had reached her limits. A bright light stood between her and the monster, humming forth from the jewel hanging from her neck.

When the man with the unnatural eye caught sight of the light, his smile only grew wider and even more crooked. As the girl got distracted, the man casually throws his swing, the metal axe cutting through the air as soon as he got close. Frantic, the girl forced her arms to move, and with adrenaline, she swung the dagger two handed, to intercept the wing. Her very actions willed by instincts alone.

"Kashink!" The impact left the sound ringing in my ears, as it managed to keep the blade away from the girl. However, the dagger was knocked right out of her hands by the sheer strength of the man. A sense of numbness could be felt from the hands, with feeling slowly draining away from her fingertips.

"Talk about sneaky, the man sure knows how to screw with me, even after death!" His feral voice screaming out into the cloudless night-sky, the man brings his palm to his forehead, laughing at himself. Frozen and forced to watch, the girl couldn't even scream in fear, her voiced robbed from her, the throat refusing to work. All she felt was pain with every try. Suddenly, his arms reached out, pulling the girl up with ease, his fingers crushing down on her neck as he brought her to his face, his eyes all but pinned on the jewel's light.

"My time's almost up, but I will get the item I came for!" The man roared out, his monstrous, unnatural eye glowing purple, light coursing through the veins, as he got more and more agitated for some reason, like a child eager for his present, with a touch of insanity. His fingers still clenched on the grip of his axe, I caught sight of his arm readying the bloody weapon itself, the frightening sight shocking the girl's entire body into movement. But, struggling did nothing in the situation, as her efforts couldn't even budge the man's fingers digging into her flesh.

"Now let me see the red of your blood!" The man gave out a sudden, maniacal declaration, slowly bringing up his axe as if he was enjoying the struggle of his prey right before his eyes.

"No!" It seemed forever since I last heard it, but the girl's voice came churning out, the tone hitting me as somewhat familiar. Throwing her arms to fear and instinct, her small palms reached out to cover the man's face, before something unbelievable happened. From the pulsing jewel, another light churned forth, erupting from the girl's palms.

"Phiew, zing!" The sound was something completely stranger to me, and the girl as well. It shot out to the surroundings, unlike anything I've heard before.

"Kaboom!" A split second later, heat and fire was pressing close to the girl's face as an explosion struck the man's face, right at where her hands were left. On reflex, the girl was thrown a meter back, propelled by a tiny bit of the man's strength. Taken aback by the sudden change in situation, the man staggered backwards a few steps as his face and the side of his body caught fire. What was strange was that no sound came from the murderous figure, no voice, no scream, he took the blast head on with little reaction.

"This is not possible!" The man screamed out like an animal deprived of its hunt, the flames slowly dying out, revealing his slightly charred skin and the purple eye throbbing out of irritation. Before he could close in and attack again, the girl threw her arms in an arc, and just like that, three rings of fire started burning around her, flickering with life of its own, a venerable shield. With the flames roaring around her, seemingly protective, she fell to her knees as the adrenaline faded, the sight showing me the flames, as the girl watched in hopes of the man with the axe giving up on his intentions, whatever it may have been.

"Hragh! You think a little fire's gonna stop me?" His hellish scream only scared the girl even more, as the man forced his steps through the flames, his frightening visage ignoring the burns he was suffering. With her heart gripped by fear and disbelief, by the time movement returned to the girl, the man have had his palm carrying her up by her forehead, pulling her off the ground once more.

I watched as the axe was swung toward me, the sense of mortality so real, so heavy within the girl.

"Let go of me!" With another yell of defiance, she brought her fists together. The pulsing source of power from the jewel seemed to resonate within her, and another light, this time bigger than before, encircled the whole of her body.

"Phiew, shing!" The similar sound accumulated in a second, as if one could hear the energy being drawn in, gathered.

"Kaboom!" The concentrated power is released, the explosions knocking the guy back, throwing him like a rag doll. The orange of the flames burned on in a hypnotizing way, probing at the girl's exhausted mind. Fire had enveloped the whole of the man's body, so much that the flames burning the city looked pale in comparison to the fire chewing at his flesh. Beyond tired, I watched as the girl's vision fell to the side, all while still drawn to the flicker of the flames.

Suddenly, the shadow from the flames started to move, before the man stepped out once more, growling and snarling. The fire surrounding his body quickly died off, revealing his skin and flesh slightly burned, but otherwise still no worse for wear. What the heck is he? How is it possible for him to still be alive and kicking? Before he charged towards the girl again, another strange thing happened.

"Argh! No! Give me a few more seconds!" He seemed to be struck with pain, bringing his hands to his head and bending down, struggling to fight off something affecting his body. Could it be the burns? No, as he does, a mist of shadow started flowing out from every part of his body, and his skin started melting, flying into the dark flames piece by piece. Forcibly, he was being torn apart by whatever that shadowy flame was. Strange, to me, they look so familiar as well. Driven to madness, the man roared out into the night, before ignoring all else and bursting into a feral race towards the girl.

"Uragh!" Like a demon, he screamed with anger, the suffering he was feeling embedded into his tone. His armor clanking with each step, he pulled back his arm as whole parts of his body started fading from reality. The smoke and flames getting bigger, he threw his frantic swing at the girl, his eyes with the look of a predator. Before the weapon could slice into her neck, it vanished, along with the man who hunted her throughout the night.

"Hah... Hah... Hah..." Soon, even the flames surrounding the girl disappeared, as if they were no longer needed, so they took their leave. The only sound breaking into the silence was the girl's breathing, as she laid on the ground, barely able to keep herself conscious.

"It seems it was the right decision to stop myself from stepping in back there." Another voice shook the girl right back up, and in turn, her vision cleared. When she turned, a baby in a black suit came into sight, with a giant, yellow pacifier hanging around his neck and a big, black fedora over his head. Slowly, he made his way towards me, or us. Wind started howling again the night, the chill getting to my skin after everything calmed.

"With death so near, your true potential was drawn out... A mage, intriguing." He continued, speaking in a manner unsuited for a baby, should a baby be able to speak at all.

The girl had little strength left, and just watched on as the baby rambled. I could feel no threat from the Arcobaleno, and I assumed the girl felt the same. For whatever reasons, she was just glad there was someone with her, after all that's happened. The light from the jewel, which seemed to have caught the baby's attention as well, have faded. Now, it looked nothing more than a pretty stone.

"Ciaossu. My name's Reborn, and I've decided to be your hit-man home-tutor."

* * *

When I blinked my eyes, I found myself back in my hotel room, the same as last night and the night before. The dreams changed ever since we came to Japan, as if coming here unlocked the next sequence of memories I was seeing every night. Looking out into the night sky, the gray clouds covering the moon, I couldn't shake off the feeling of familiarity I was getting from the dreams. It had become a sort of daily routine, as my body no longer sweat bullets each night, as I awoke from what could be compared to as nightmares.

"Could it really be...?" I asked to myself, as the thought of someone popped into my head as soon as I wondered who the girl from my dreams were. The similarities are there, but those are but common features, a whole lot of people could fit them. With each night, I became more and more concerned for the girl. I want to know who is she, what happened to her. I want to help.

"Argh! Darn it!" Scratching my head furiously, my body fell back into bed as I realized I had absolutely no clue that could lead me to her. As I laid in between the sheets, the clock struck two, showing its long hand on twelve and the short hand on two. The only clue I have is perhaps how she looked like, as well as that jewel around her neck. What else can I draw from what I saw...

"That's right! The Arcobaleno! His name is... Reborn! Maybe Aria can tell me where that baby is!" My voice nearly burst out into a scream into the night as I got all excited by my own idea.

"Tomorrow's the New Year's Festival, huh? Ha ha, this all feels like Deja Vu!" Strangely commenting to myself, I nonetheless remembered the night before New Years back in Italy, when the dreams first started. The situation right now is strangely similar. Hinata invited us to the Festival, or at least, that's what Kiera told me. I was too drunk to understand Hinata myself back then. Somehow, Kiera seemed really eager to go. The fact that I got myself kidnapped because of something as stupid as not checking the drink before I gulped it down was still something I couldn't accept, and I caused Sergio such injuries...

"Sigh... I wonder if Sera and the others are doing okay back home?" Well, now that I think about it, bringing the three strongest members of the Zanna Famiglia with me actually left the mansion quite vulnerable. Still, we have been having peaceful days ever since the reclamation completed, so maybe I'm just being overly cautious. All right, time to sleep, I can't afford to be tired tomorrow! With the thoughts kept popping up one after another, I had to push them away in order to fall back to sleep.

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**Another dream shows itself! Any idea who's the girl Amato's eyes see through in his dreams? Who is the man with the unnatural eye? Well now, near the end, my mind was starting to lack ideas, so I hope this chapter's not too boring! With many things to come, keep your eyes out for my updates! And I want to read your thoughts in your reviews as well!**


	55. A Doctor's Experiments

**Author's Note:**

**Well, every once in a while, we'll find ourselves suddenly having a comedic moment, sharing a laugh or two with friends. Time for another Extra chapter, this time in Japan! Don't worry, the perspective has returned to Amato, and we delve deeper into yet another character in the story!**

* * *

**Chapter 54: A Doctor's Experiments.**

When the doors from the lobby opened, and the light from the sun blinded my eyes for a second, I walked out of the Akihabara Washington Hotel and onto the streets of Akiba, Tokyo itself. When my eyes caught sight of the calm, blue sky, filled with a dozen fluffy white clouds, the thought struck me. Maybe I should've told someone I'm going out for a stroll around town. Remembering back, Kiera and Aria left early today with Hinata, shopping, I think, and I got no response when I called out and knocked on the door from either of the guys, so I thought they weren't in.

Not to mention, after all that happened within the first few days into Japan. Still, the excitement has been dying down, and nothing dangerous happened yesterday, so I guess it should be okay.

"Well, I have five hours until the Koshogatsu Festival starts... I guess I can handle going through the streets alone..." Commenting to myself, I put one feet after another, arms around myself to keep myself warm from the winter wind. Looking around, the masses seemed to have grown even bigger than when we arrived, more students in uniforms combing through the corners of the roads. I wonder how it is to go to school everyday in those attires, they weren't kidding when people say how cute the girls look.

A group of them giggled as they walked past me, causing me to flinch with heat flooding onto my face because of how pretty everyone of them was. Maybe it was because of my eyes, certainly my brown hair doesn't scream foreigner that much. The male uniforms don't look too bad either, but some of them actually scoffed at my presence, something of a discrimination to foreigners Kiera mentioned.

As long as I have Fenris with me, I shouldn't have too much trouble...

Taking my time down the wide streets filled with people, many signs were hung on the roads, the Japanese language littered all over them. It felt so strange walking through a hustling and bustling city with a culture completely stranger to what I'm used to. Still, I could feel the life of the city, the beating of its heart, it was a calm and enjoyable feeling. Before long, I actually lost sight of where I was aiming to go, and leave my body wandering aimlessly from one side of the streets to another.

As with the association with Tokyo, trends and technology could be found in every corner of the city, even here in Akihabara. Many people, young and old, wore stunning colors that never seemed to sting the eyes, a perfect blend of styles. When one looks close enough, one could find minor adjustments made to the lampposts and traffic lights, knick knacks here and there which made them look like something from the future. When I finally decided to try and go to one of those arcades or shops, I finally realized I couldn't actually read any of the signs and there's little chance the owners could speak in English. Strange that I never thought that I haven't actually spoke to anyone but my friends ever since we first stepped into Japan.

That was when I also realized that Kiera and Sergio did most of the talking. In truth, I felt kinda weak and useless, having always needed to rely on them, even more so in Japan. With no real way to pick up the language anytime soon, I ended up continuing my walk, seeing how it's the only thing I could do to spend the time. Scanning my eyes at the sights wasn't too bad of an experience either.

"But... Why do I get the feeling that I'm being watched?" At the comment given out to myself, my eyes seemed to land on five different corners of the streets, behind walls and on the rooftops. Could it be a threat? With caution rising, my fingers seemed to etch closer to my holster, hidden behind my back, where Fenris lay asleep. When the sudden feeling disappeared, I tried to brush it off as nothing, and continued down the streets.

Round the corner and into a more deserted part of the district, a sudden drive pushed my legs into the alley, the building at its side was looking old and decrepit, like one of those that were going to get demolished soon. Somehow, I caught the sound of whispering and mumbling from the end, and so my legs took me down the old path which looked out of place when put together with the rest of the district itself. Near the end of the two walls, the voice got louder, and Vito came into view, a clinical clipboard in one hand, and a pen in another.

"All right, let's try another, I need to get the average duration they can sustain themselves..." Vito's eyes were serious as he stared at the board of his, speaking out words without his usual, witty tone. Some of the things he was saying was too difficult for me to even understand. Feeling that I would intrude in whatever important business he's doing, I slipped into the corner to have a seat, suddenly becoming interested in exactly what the Angel of Life do in his free time.

"ImmunoE67." Vito declared out before tossing what looks like a pill into the air, which then pops into a liquid. From there, the strangest thing happened, the water stuck to each other, and started to change. Seconds later, they turned solid, taking the form of a dragonfly, zipping around Vito.

"What the heck?" I screamed out as soon as the thought flashed through my mind, jumping up to my feet. It looked physically impossible. Did Vito just created a living thing from that pill in his hands?

"Ah, it seems the Valkyrie was right, you do have a penchant for stalking others..." Vito calmly gave out without even turning to look at me, and continued his experiment. The dragonfly floated in the air, the beating of its wings so natural. The scales glowed crimson, the color though unusual, was a sight of beauty. Landing on Vito's index finger, it looks and acts just as any other dragonfly would, but the fact that it came out of a piece of drug, that it was created artificially, still boggled my mind.

"Well, it's... just.. You looked busy, so I didn't want to intrude or disturb you or anything... so..." That was the best I could piece from the random reason popping into my mind, definitely not the best answer I could come up with. I just wished it didn't sound as though I was making the case worse for myself.

"This was the reason I left the Zanna Famiglia back then..." Vito calmly gave out, his eyes still observing the life he created. At first, I thought he meant my personality, but thinking back, he left six years ago, before Dad disappeared. Even back then, we didn't talk much, never mingled. So he left his position as the next Doctor of the Zanna Famiglia for that dragonfly buzzing around him? When I put more thought about it, perhaps he was seeking out the way to create life, straying away from birth. I guess that could have been a more tempting reason to a doctor.

"I chased Trident Shamal all over the world, just so he could teach me the techniques he used in creating his Trident Mosquitoes... but he never relented." Vito somehow went into a soft-spoken state, as if in regret, as he gave out the explanation, continuing one word after another while writing down all he could in the clipboard.

That's right, Kiera said Vito left one day, just like that. There were rumors and gossip scattered all around the mansion. Because of his attitude and personality, no one really got close to the Angel of Life other than Kiera herself, and so nothing really changed even after he left. I remember him as the medical prodigy when he was first introduced into the Famiglia by my Father. Maybe it was Dad who took him in.

_Trident Shamal, the Assassin who employs the unorthodox technique of killing, by controlling and manipulating mosquitoes to inflict illnesses and diseases onto his victims. Because of that, their deaths were always regarded as natural, with no real way of linking the assassination to the man. An unbelievable character to be sure. So Vito left to find Trident Shamal, to learn from him the secrets of his mosquitoes?_

"In the end, this is just something I picked up while watching him..." For once, Vito's words lacked the sarcastic tone, before he raised his arm with the dragonfly attached to his shoulder. Suddenly, Vito plunges his fist into the wall at his side.

"Crack. Crash!"

The area he punched cracked and exploded, the enormous strength of his attack ravages through the stone walls, sending cracks flying out from the area of impact. It was so much that I felt as if the building would come down immediately, considering how bad of a condition it looked like before. But it didn't, the building stood on. The crater formed from his punched had turned into what looked like an area where a truck had slammed itself against the wall.

"W-whoa!" Jumping at the sight, I couldn't help but yell out amazed. The strength might even exceed my own even if I was to go into my Awakening! When my mind searched for how Vito did all this, the crimson dragonfly kept popping into my mind. No doubt the insect has something to do with that powerful attack. He learned this just by observing Trident Shamal? "How'd you do that?" Asking out the question, I remained stunned and obviously impressed.

"Immuno Dragonflies." Vito exclaimed, walking towards me and showing to me the insect perched at his shoulder. "This is my own variation of the insect Shamal used, while his inflicts disease, mine enhances the natural strengths of the human body." Vito continued, before the crimson insect turned to ashes a few seconds after, bringing out disappointment on Vito's face. "But I guess they still need some fine-tuning. Right now, they're still not suitable for combat..." Vito mumbled out, before scratching down furiously on his clipboard.

"So... you've been to this country before as well?" Unwittingly, I asked out another question as the memory of the time he spoke in the station came into mind, how real the experience of his words felt back then.

"Yeah, I've been here, chasing Shamal's tail..." After that, Vito just sunk back into his experiments, almost as if he's blocked me off from his radar. Then, as if I just vanished or turned invisible, Vito carried on with his experiments, popping open a few more of his dragonflies. They all looked different, and when they latched onto Vito, he displayed insane stunts and amazing abilities. Things like super-speed and the ability to climb on walls were just some of the more flashy ones, then there's stuff like enhanced vision, which was difficult to figure out when he started testing that.

One by one, they turned to ashes after they were used. I would've been greatly impressed by what Vito had already accomplished, but the indifference on his face told me he was expecting more. Slowly, his actions got faster, his focus unwavering, and a small smile appeared on his face. Even from a distance, I could tell he was enjoying his little work. No, his passion is something I never thought I would see on his face. It made me realize just how much Vito actually loves his work, being a doctor and all. Somehow, a part of me believed that behind all these experiments, Vito was really just following his desire to help others as a doctor.

But with the thoughts floating in my mind, so came a tinge of worry and uncertainty. Should I really be holding him here, have him work for my Famiglia when he could be out in the world studying and becoming a real doctor? The feeling that annoyed me slowly seeped within my heart, and I surprised myself at the amount of concern I feel for the guy. Truth be told, Vito always helped the Famiglia, no matter what words he spoke and what views he gave.

Watching Vito so passionately doing the work he enjoys, even as misunderstood and shunned as he was in the Famiglia, brought forth a promise within my mind, and my heart. Someday, I don't want him to raise his daggers for the Zanna Famiglia anymore, but to raise a scalpel, helping others and having that smile always on his face. Maybe it won't come true, maybe it's just a misunderstanding on my part, or my wild imagination, but until he himself bluntly tell me not to do it, I will keep the promise.

Sitting there on the ground, I mumbled out the promise I made in my mind, spending the few hours before the festival just watching Vito and his work.

"Someday, I'll let you go on and do the job you want, Vito."

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**A small peek into Vito's past! Are you guys happy about the back-story? Or does it feel lame and weird? Also, we get to see Amato and his thoughts on the Angel of Life who had been watching over the Zanna Famiglia! Tell me how you feel in your reviews and watch out for the next update! Peace out!**


	56. Koshogatsu Fireworks

**Author's Note:**

**Ah, Amato and the Zanna Famiglia, spending time at a festival in Japan! This has definitely appeared on my mind for a dozen times now! At first, I was afraid I'd have to make one up, but it seems the Koshogatsu Festival really does take place at around the time Amato visit Japan. Let's go!**

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**Chapter 55: Koshogatsu Fireworks**

While it was just a shy tint of blue washed over the streets when we stepped out of the hotel lobby, the clear, empty sky hanging above us, the streets soon turned into what felt very similar to a fiesta back home. Many lights filled and collided with each other as we stepped into the Koshogatsu Festival, beaming forth from the many stalls lined up one after another. While Hinata told us that this festival was supposed to be one where people celebrates for a peaceful and bountiful harvest, and that those who were to take part would more likely be adults, the voices of both children and adults came in the form of cheers and laughter.

"It seems the news of fireworks spread out pretty quick, if I'm not wrong, it feels like everyone from Akihabara's here, it's packed!" I exclaimed while turning my eyes all around me, catching sight of my little group. Sergio and Johann looked just as surprised as I was, but I was expecting more reaction from Vito and Dante, whose steps were so slow I actually had to slow down a bit. They seemed as calm and collected as they always do. It's fine for missions and all, but I don't believe they never have any fun.

"Right, I guess because of tradition, people of Japan never expected such a western tradition, especially one as loud as fireworks, would be accepted for New Years." Sergio continued as we took our time passing by each stall. They featured numerous activities and food, all part of the Japanese tradition, I think. Food and games galore, I can't help but smile at the sight of the many people enjoying themselves.

"Ha ha, hey guys, this looks easy but it's actually pretty difficult!" Johann gave out after his laugh, already trying out one of the stalls at our side, pulling out a bunch of coins from his wallet. At the rate he's going, I wonder just how much money did he brought with him to Japan. "It's my third try already!" He certainly seemed to be enjoying himself, without a care in the world as usual. His fringe of golden hair glowing under the bright, orange lights, a shine in his brown eyes, I realized I no longer feel any form of disapproval from Johann, as well as a small tinge of guilt. Seems these days, that's what I've been feeling whenever I look at my friends.

A joke or two did nothing to curb what I felt. Somehow, there was a nagging feeling at the back of my head, that I'm the cause for Johann's loss of memories. Looking to the ground with a sudden grimace, I wondered what's the deal he had before, with the dreaded Vindice no less. Knight of Lazarus, is this really how the Knights do it when they go into exile? He may seem happy, but I heard he doesn't even remember his family, only snippets of places here and there. That just seemed so sad.

When my mind dropped itself deeper into this depression, I was knocked awake and back to the festival by a small slap on my back.

"Hey! Why the sudden gloomy look on your face? We're here to celebrate New Years!" Sergio popped into sight as soon as I looked up, forcing me to wipe away my frown on reflex. When the sound of cheers and laughter, the chatter of families and friends filled my ears once more, Johann, Dante and Vito had all but disappeared from my side, with only Sergio standing there looking slightly worried.

"Sorry, just doing some thinking." I quickly pushed out a reason, before pulling a smile over my face once more at the thought of the festival. "So they're all gone, huh?" When I tried to latch my mind onto another topic to keep the saddening thoughts away, that was the first thing blurted out.

"Johann's off chasing the games and giving all of them a try, Vito raised a brow when he caught sight of a candy store a few stalls away and Dante just sorta vanished." Sergio gave off while scratching the back of his head, looking apologetic. Deciding they're more than capable of looking after themselves, the concern quickly leaped out of my mind, but with just the two of us standing in the crowd of people, the many heads going from one side another, another thought came into mind.

"Is Hinata and the girl's here yet? Any sign of them?" The question quickly popped out of my mouth, only to have Sergio reply by shrugging his shoulders, a blank look on his face. That's right, I haven't seen the girls since this morning. I think they went shopping because they were talking about coming to the festival in Yukatas, a casual take on Japanese traditional costumes, at Hinata's suggestion. Remembering how happy Hinata looked when I caught sight of them as I was walking out of my room this morning, my curiosity only grew larger when the Koshogatsu Festival started.

They said they'll meet us at the Festival itself. Now I really can't wait to see the three of them!

"Why are the two of you just standing there in the middle the street, in the center of the festival?" A voice spoke out to us, carrying with it a sarcastic tone full of wit and a hint of tease. At first, I thought Vito had returned, but the slight level of concern in the words made me doubt my own thinking. Turning around, my eyes caught sight at one of dazzling colors. Hinata, Kiera and Aria were right behind us, dressed in Yukatas, each complimenting the look of each of the girls.

From the pretty ends of Hinata's brown hair, blue cloth flowed down her body, wrapped in such a manner that was both elegant and distinct. A good many patterns can be found gently spread from one corner of the blue to another, blasting out, like stars and suns. Somehow, I couldn't help but feel that the eye-catching design was something Hinata picked out herself, that it compliments her personality so well. She pushed her shoulders towards us, hands held together at her back as she looked at us after asking that question from before. Her eyes were shining, no longer the sharp red they used to look before, but now a a tint of what looked like a mix between gold and yellow. I think this is the amber eyes we so rarely see, just staring at them made me forget we're at the festival.

Kiera popped out from Hinata's right shoulder, staring down to the ground as I moved closer for a better look. She seemed nervous. The first thing I noticed was her hair, tied up behind her head in a bundle that looked oriental, and from her golden bangs to her neck, a burst of white came into sights, coupled by a band of pink going around her waist. Kiera's own Yukata screamed out power and grace and took it to a whole new level, the phoenix motif both beautiful and slightly overwhelming, but at the same time, it was kept at a level where it still fitted into the festive spirit of celebrations. While her eyes gazed to the side, Kiera maintained her poise and elegance she always had, but with what she was wearing, it brought forth a captivating feel.

Aria looked pretty stunning as well, and seeing her slightly nervous only raised how cute she looked. Her lush, dark hair dangled at her side, reaching down to her back and revealing a bright yellow that glowed even in the lights of the festival. Floral designs were littered all over her Yukata, a calming sight to the eyes. Her actions were a lot toned down than her usual demeanor, slow and careful, but the same behavior gave off an unexpected air of grace. I think she's just not used to the Japanese costume she had on, but anyone could see her genuine tries at mastering the ways. When my eyes met with hers, a smile stretched across her face, and all manner of uncertainty, however small they seemed, vanished.

"Wow! You guys look positively stunning!" Sergio's voice brought me back, as he whistled in appreciation of the beauty before him, so much that a faint tint of red was starting to appear on his cheeks. It was unbelievable, because I don't remember a time I ever saw my best friend blush in front of any girl. The three looked really happy when they received the compliment, their eyes brightening up almost immediately. When they turn and looked at me however, I realized they're waiting for me to say something as well, eagerly in fact.

"Uh... yeah.. You guys look... really good!" I quickly blurt out whatever sentence I could form in my mind as the heat kept rising to my face and the wetness of my sweat could be felt trickling down the side of my face. I hope I didn't look too flustered. Right after I told them the words, my eyes suddenly broke off from the three girls and looked to the side, as if on reflex. I had no idea why I did that, though, they really looked beautiful.

That was when a piece of metal curled up in a ball went in between my ribs, only it wasn't metal, it was a fist.

"Cough!" Turning around, I saw Kiera looking upset, the red blush on her face slowly receding. Behind them, Sergio and Aria shared a laugh at the situation like usual while Hinata only shook her head with an amused expression on her face. With the situation as awkward as it was, we ended up just moving on without a word, getting into the festival and visiting the many stalls.

"Ha-net-su-ki? Hm, how exactly is it played?" I asked out as I walked towards the stall, my interest building up when I lay eyes on the many finely decorated and designed wooden paddles, each as if they could tell a story on their own. Turning back to Kiera and the others, I caught sight of Kiera still ignoring me somewhat, not responding to my question. Turning away with her face still slightly upset, her Yukata flying gracefully with each movement, her eyes told me she wanted something but at the same time she's pushing her desire away, because of that, she had this conflicted look on her face, which seemed kinda cute.

"They look so well decorated!" Aria gave out as she got to my side, picking up one of the wooden paddles for a closer look. They looked of heavy Eastern design, something rarely seen back in Italy.

"I think it's something like Badminton, it's been years since I last played it..." Sergio vaguely tried to answer my question, a slightly confused look covering his face as he dug into his mind for answers. Perhaps Sergio and his family also played games like these in New Years back in Italy, in addition to all those Italian customs we'd do.

"Yes, it's called Hanetsuki. And yes, it's similar to Badminton." Hinata's voice surprised us as she got to my side as well, picking up two of the paddles used in the game hosted by the stall after being so quiet for quite a while. She looked as if she had been deep in thoughts. "We'll take two for a game." Hinata's confidence quickly returned, as did her eccentricity, quickly ignoring the stall owner right after she tossed him the money for playing a game.

In front of the stall, Hinata placed a paddle in my hand and pushed me a few steps away from her, and when I turned towards her wondering why she did that, she was already all geared up for the game, already taken up her stance. With Sergio, Kiera and Aria watching, I was suddenly thrust into a game in which I had no real idea on how it's played. Well, if anything, I'm always happy to play games with a pretty girl.

"We'll send the shuttlecock to each side, trying our best to keep it in the air!" Hinata declared right as I got my game on, before serving and starting the game right on the bat. At that moment, we were surprised at how competitive she was. Well, until the shuttlecock flew past my face right after I tossed back towards her.

"Whoa!" The reaction was given out without much control, overwhelmed by the fact that I couldn't even properly follow it with my eyes. I was left dumbfounded while Hinata just stood there with a haughty grin on her face, as if she was enjoying my expressions.

"Oh, and the loser must have his or her face painted in indian ink, a stroke for each loss!" Hinata gave out playfully, finally revealing everything about the game while trying her best not to laugh. Of course, it took me a while to register what she said, but when the stall-keeper was already making his way towards me with the ink and the brush, denial took over.

"Wait, no! T-that's just a practice round! I didn't know anything!" Crying out, it didn't change anything, and for some reason, I didn't even take one step from where I was. In the end, a dark, murky stroke of ink went over the top of my lips, almost like a mustache drawn for a prank. When the stall-keeper returned to his stall, I saw Hinata all geared up for another round. It seemed the game is paid for duration, not the amount of rounds we play, and so, the challenge was accepted, with me hoping to see a stroke of ink on Hinata's face for payback.

But that feat proved a bit too difficult. Despite being in a Yukata, Hinata all but burned through me round after round, I could barely return her serves. It was really embarrassing. When we finally stopped and moved on to the next stall, I looked like someone from those oriental plays so prevalent in eastern lands, the strokes of black looking like a design or a mask put over my face.

"Ha ha ha ha ha!" Sergio and Aria burst out laughing after trying to hold it back for quite a while. Even Kiera couldn't help but turn her frown upside down when she saw my face. Of course, I didn't feel hurt or anything when they did, their smiles made up for whatever awkwardness I felt from their reactions. My way of thinking also made me wonder if my reaction was a normal one. Somehow, a nagging feeling at the back of my head kept disagreeing.

"Hinata, c-can I wipe it off? Please?" Despite how I felt, the public was starting to giggle whenever their eyes saw me, and the ink, to be honest, felt a tiny bit disgusting. I really didn't want it to dry over my face.

"No, if you did, there will be no proof of my victory!" Hinata proudly replied, obviously boasting about the win. Grinning from ear to ear, she seemed to have really enjoyed herself from that one game. In the end, I gave up trying to persuade her, partly because she only seemed to get more adamant with each try. When my eyes caught Kiera all quiet at the back of the group, an urge to do something about it took over all else, catching sight of a toy shooting range, I quickly ran over.

"Um... Sir? One try please." I muttered out the words in Japanese as I approached the stall owner, pulling out my Japanese language guidebook from my pocket and flipping to the different pages for cross-referencing. I think I got the words right. At first, the man just got mighty startled, but after pointing to the Hanetsuki stall, he immediately understood. Unexpectedly, the man never even gave out a single chuckle, something I was grateful for. Together with my hand signals, the man soon got the message, and handed me a plastic rifle for a try at the game. Everything went okay as I handed him the price with a smile. Closing my eyes for a second, I tried to hone my focus.

Right, games like this one is popular all over the world. Often, we'll always see a shooting range game in any carnival or festival we go to. Combine that with the fact that my training with Fenris, as well as Kiera's insistence on me learning how to use all other forms of firearms, often meant an easy win. My eyes shooting themselves open, I pulled the toy rifle and aimed it with one hand, blasting forth the plastic bullets. Vibrations and recoil, though not as much as a real gun, tried to deter my aim, but they were hardly successful. With the sound of the shots strangely quiet, all five of my shots struck the bulls-eye.

Wondering if Kiera and the others had already moved on, I quickly picked my prize, much to the shocking surprise shown on the stall owner's face. As soon as I got my winning, a large plush of a pig dressed up as a customer, with fork and knife in each hand nonetheless, my steps quickly ran off back to my friends.

Walking through the open fields a ways from the festival itself, the wind gently brushed against my hair, the hustle and bustle of the festival slowly dying down as if fading in the distance. It took me a while, but I found my friends all scattered in the fields, Sergio, Johann and Aria in a corner, Dante and Vito in the far sides. Kiera stood alone, looking up to the dark, clear sky, watching the stars, the moon and the clouds. Watching her profile in her Yukata looked stunning, breath-taking even. Suddenly, it felt that much more difficult to speak to her.

"K-Kiera?" The nervous feel made my words stutter, as I walked to her side with the plush in my hands. Snapping back, I saw Kiera tense as a surprise look appeared on her face, before she regained the usual calmness I'm so accustomed to.

"Pleasant evening, Lord Amato." As she replied, my ears caught an usual stiffness in her words, even more so than usual. She only turned to me with a bow before turning back, her movements almost robotic.

"Kiera, is there something wrong? You've been looking... conflicted..." Giving out the words, I started scratching my chin hoping my observation's not that off the mark while fiddling with the pink plush toy in my hands. Soon, even my eyes had to turn to the toy as I got more and more nervous because of how pretty she looked. Light returned to Kiera's eyes, or at least, it felt that way, as she turned back to me with her eyebrows furrowing, as if she got agitated by my voice.

"It's not that! I just wanted to hear you s-!" Before she could finish venting out, more red stained her cheek and spreads to her whole face as she got hit by realization, the words suddenly cutting off. With that, I couldn't help but feel as if I did something wrong, or at least it has something to do with me.

"I... got you this doll. C'mon, it's a celebration, I want to see you smile and be happy most of all. Right now, we're not Mafia, we're teenagers, right?" However, when I offered the doll, she just turned away again, looking slightly more annoyed. However, when my hands pulled it away, I realized her hand was tugging on the toy at one side even while she'd turned away. In the end, Kiera accepted the doll even as she gave no words of acknowledgment at all.

"You look beautiful in that Yukata, and you don't want your frown to pull things down, ya know?" Following my train of thoughts, I just spoke out the words that formed in my mind. When I realized what I said, it was my turn to turn away, facing out to the open fields, feeling strangely warm despite the cold wind blowing against the grass.

"T-Thank you, Amato." After calming down and turning back at the voice, I saw Kiera finally smiling with excitement, nodding as if too happy to say anything else. Her smile worked wonders, and the pressure on my shoulders lessened, returning to the usual feel I always had with the girl named Kiera De Luca. Checking around, my mind finally noticed something missing from the circle of friends in my sight, Hinata was nowhere to be seen. Recalling her brown hair and the pair of amber eyes, I suddenly felt the need to talk to her again.

"Where's Hinata?" I casually tossed out the question while admiring Kiera's hair, tied in an oriental style so much more different than her usual braids. Kiera, however, immediately flinched a bit from those words.

"She's... a few ways in front of us, Lord Amato." After hesitating for a second, Kiera answered me, pointing towards a hill before us. Catching sight of Hinata as I squinted my eyes, I bounced off to a jog, making my way towards her. Glancing back, Kiera's face looked a bit sad as I left her side. Sorry, Kiera, but I'll probably only get to see Hinata while we're staying here in Japan, so don't fault me if I try to see her more often than not.

There, she stood still while gentle wind whistled behind my ears, lifting up the ends of her blue Yukata and pushing them side to side. Her brown hair swaying, she almost looked sad as she stared up into the night-sky. Was she waiting for the fireworks? Or perhaps observing the stars? The light show should start any minute now. Slowing down as I got near, Hinata never even reacted to my presence, the blank look in her eyes from before now looking so prevalent.

"Hinata!" Crying out to her with a smile, I thought of putting my hand on her shoulder to snap her back to the festival, but soon realized the lack of courage needed for such an act. In the end, I just got in front of her and started waving, until the light returned to her eyes.

"You're too... strong... and loud." Hinata whispered out into the fields, before blinking her eye, the golden color flickered brightly even at night. "Well, what is it, Amato?" Hinata threw at me yet another question even before I began to wonder about what she said.

"Nah, it's nothing, just wanted you here so that I can enjoy the fireworks with my friend!" Right, I'm really happy I got to meet such a cute and independent girl here in Japan. The trip to this country has been a wild one, but meeting Hinata kinda even things out.

"... Friend, huh? We're... Friends..." She repeated the words with such a tone one would believe she had no idea of friendship before today. When her eyes gazed upon me while still looking slightly confused, I beamed to her another smile before turning to the skies, trying to catch the light-show should it start. Suddenly, something soft grazed against my cheeks, gently rubbing against my skin. Through the cloth, I could feel five fingers wiping on the side of my face. That was when the heat burst up to my head even before I realized who it was.

"I'll just help you clean the ink off... I guess my victory's not that important..." Hinata spoke from the side, a kind, gentle, loving tone to her voice. It felt nice, I didn't know she could sound so loving. Although my body was frozen from the sensation to even look at Hinata, something told me she had the same smile as me on her face.

"Whish! Fwoosh!"

Suddenly, the loud whistles rang across the fields, followed by the bursts of light spreading across the black sky. A rainbow of colors began exploding into flowers, blooming with each second passed. My eyes soon followed the lights exploding in the skies above, too entranced to do anything else. Standing at where we were, it felt like the perfect location to watch the fireworks, with the sound not too loud and the explosions of light feeling just right. Soon, Hinata finished qiping away the ink, and turned to the fireworks as well.

"I'm... glad... to have met you that day, at the station..." Softly, I heard the words whispered out, as if Hinata was still afraid to say them, but they only got louder with each syllable, even in the sound of the fireworks. "I'm... happy that I'm friends with you and the others, Amato Zanna." The last part sounded as if she took every ounce of her being to have it spoken, and it made me feel all tingly inside. Surprised that Hinata had such a side to her, I felt my attraction to her going up just a little more.

"Yeah, me too." I gave my short reply.

With one last look at her Amber eyes while the many lights lit up the sky, Hinata is starting to feel more and more familiar. As the words end and we watched the dazzling display of light and sound, it felt as if I was spending time with someone I knew, from long ago.

Together, we watched the blinding lights and listened to the sharp whistling of the fireworks amidst the cheers and joy of the crowds of Akihabara. It would remain a memory that I would never forget.

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**Well, this chapter certainly took it's own sweet time. Is the interaction between Amato and his friends, especially Hinata, believable? Or does it sound absurd? I fear I may have written too much, is it good? Is it boring? Please tell it to me in your reviews! Soon, this arc will come to its end, I hope you guys are as excited about it as I am! I'll try to update soon, see you next time!**


	57. Bonds Reforged!

**Author's Note:**

**Hey guys, it's been a while. Well, thing's have been going slow for me, with school coming to an end and all. If anything, I really want to finish up this arc. There's a very important plot point this arc is supposed to bring forth, and perhaps some of you have figured it out already. If not, I hope you'll enjoy the surprise!**

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**Chapter 56: Bonds Reforged!**

**A Sacred Code.**

When the evening was slowly coming to an end, my feet grazed upon the soft, cold grass that spread across the open fields. The shadow of night had all but engulfed the sky, accompanied by the stars and the moon, but somehow, the night itself seemed to be glowing bright. Various sounds of laughter and joy bounced from one end to another, as the many people enjoyed themselves at this particular festival. The peace of it all was so contagious I couldn't help but close my eyes and drown myself, taking in everything that's happening.

That is, until a voice I'm familiar with went up by a whole pitch, catching my attention. In the distance, I saw Amato and Kiera, exchanging words with a slew of expression coming forth from their faces.

"Looks like Kiera's feelings finally blew off..." Another voice came close along with a bright yellow cloth which flew in front of my eyes, the words matching the thoughts in my mind. Aria bounced to my side, her lush hair dangling, the beauty of it only enhanced by the elegant look of her outfit. Her blue eyes a stark contrast to her bright robes, I admit it was kind of difficult to keep my eyes off of her. Such bright colors even though she's the eldest of the three, maybe Aria wishes to stay younger?

"Hey Aria, Johann, enjoying the festival?" Standing there back straight with my fingers in my pockets, I threw her a simple greeting, making sure I don't look too surprised. A wave to Johann garnered a smile in return.

"Aw, no change to your expressions, your actions, even with this?" Aria sounded a tiny bit disappointed as she twirled around in her Yukata. I think she expected me to mess up my words or something. Sadly, I don't feel that way with most of the girls I meet, even the more attractive ones.

"Sometimes, even I can't tell what you're thinking..." Her blue eyes slightly faltering, she nonetheless kept her smile on her face before following my eyes and looking towards whatever I'm staring at. Returning to her more serious demeanor, I couldn't help but sense uncertainty and worry in the tone of her words. "... You just don't show what you're feeling. I don't know if that's exactly good or bad." By then, the worry in her words had become all too obvious. While having a girl so worried about me, you might think I was over the moon, but I'm not that kind of guy. Aria's concern only drove me to dig deep into myself, doubt formed from uncertainty.

"No, I think he's doing good with the cool impression he always gives off." Johann, after staying behind us for so long, finally squeezed out his own comment, nodding to himself. I couldn't tell if his comment was given out with good intentions or otherwise, and it only made me somewhat more confused.

But, Aria quickly smiled again, as if forgetting about what just happened. Looking at her and Johann now prancing towards Kiera, it made it easier for me to push away my own doubts as well, and soon, my steps followed after them. Something must have happened, because when I got there, Amato's gone from where he stood a second ago, and Kiera stood there, getting hugged by Aria with a plush toy in her arms.

"So... what happened? Told him how you really feel? Did you lose him to Hinata?" For once, I tried giving a sarcastic remark to my teacher, as rare as they come, after seeing Amato run off in Hinata's direction. When Kiera heard me, her head jerked off as she turned to the side, the giant plush toy in her arms turning with her. With her pure, white Yukata, finely decorated with the motif of the phoenix, her presence was both strong and beautiful, and the hint of pink cloth around her Yukata as well as the toy gave off a small touch of cuteness to the whole picture.

"N-no, he's just... I-I don't know what you're talking about!" As usual, Kiera's own inability to properly express herself must have stopped her at the last second. The more she tried to deny, the harder she blushed. Within a few seconds, her face was red all over, her body becoming stiff, locking her movements.

"Kiera? Are you okay? Don't worry, I'm sure you'll tell him next time." As if the Boss of the Arcobaleno already knew something like this was gonna happen, she automatically started consoling Kiera, trying her best to calm her down.

"Wait, so you actually like Amato? Why'd you keep hitting him all the time?" Johann gave out at the side, looking genuinely surprised at his rather slow realization. Still, it only made his smile wider, as he kept grinning with amusement.

"I-I'm fine! You guys stop babying me! I can do without the teasing!" Kiera's voice quickly returned to her usual, strict tone as she shot us a piercing glance, causing us to pull back our hands and shut our mouths almost instantly, whether it was out of guilt, respect or just plain fear. Out of reflex, I found my back jerking straight, a product of all the training I did with Kiera. Soon, Aria and I stood looking out to the swaying grass in the open fields with an awkward silence as Kiera stood crossed, which only dissipated by the soft exchange of words coming from a group slowly approaching us.

"Chish. Chish. Chish."

A step after another soon erupted into a mass of sound that soon marked itself out from the many things happening in the fields. In my mind, I expected to see Dante or Vito, or even the both of them walking towards us, but it seemed I was off by a bit. As if anticipating something, my sense screamed out, jolting movement into my body. Before I knew it, my fists was clenched and I already took a stance. With their steps, my eyes caught sight of five other people making their way towards us, following behind Dante and Vito.

Nevertheless, we were surprised by what we saw next. Behind the two core members of the Zanna Famiglia stood the members of the Kaijin Palm, the guys dressed in casual clothes while the girls had their Yukatas on. The girls, with their hair so prominent among the group, had the traditional garbs on, each side reflecting one another. The girl with bubble pink hair had a deep, purple drawn over her, clean of any designs at all. The other had the faded color of pink, but shared the same pure, untouched look lacking of designs. Even Rei had a pair of glasses on, which took away most of whatever caution amassed within me.

But that wasn't the part that had our attention ensnared like some bad comedy movie, it was actually the sight of the more serious of the girls, the one with purple hair, attaching herself to Vito's left arm, clinging on to him as if there was no tomorrow.

"Uh... Vito? What's with her?" Soon, I couldn't stand the confusion any longer, and spoke up while the others were still dumbstruck, pointing at the Japanese teenager who was trying to kill us with her bladed gauntlets a few days ago, was now acting as if she's enjoying herself a lot, all while trying to keep up her frown and blushing cheeks.

"Junko! I said, don't stand so close to me!" It seems the girl's name is Junko, and that Dante and Vito were already acquainted with them. Certainly, they didn't seem threatened by the Kaijin Palm right next to us. "Sigh... I have no idea how this happened..." Finally giving up after countless tries, Vito stopped his effort to shoo Junko away while gesturing to us with his sarcastic words.

"Hey, the Zanna Famiglia, right? Let me introduce myself and my sister, I'm Chou and this is Junko! Sorry about the other day!" Bouncing towards us, the pink-haired girl named Chou surprised us with her loud voice and how informal she acted. It felt very much as though she had completely accepted all of us as friends. Her attitude reminded me a lot of Regina, especially when we were in elementary school.

"We're honored to see Foreigners enjoying the customs brought forth by Koshogatsu. We, the Kaijin Palm, give our thanks." Pushing his way forward, the leader of the Kaijin palm, his eyes no longer as serious as before, gave us a bow that was filled with nothing but pure gratitude. Standing at our side just minutes before the fireworks begun, these people, who seemed exceptionally skilled, now looked like nothing more than teenagers, just like us. The two guys standing at the back, one with short, black hair while the other had a full head of blond, had the same trendy clothes so prevalent among the people of Tokyo.

Just watching them made me think they were probably just like us, maybe even worse. Somehow, my mind convinced me that everything they did, they did it because of orders. Even I knew how dire things could be if Yakuza failed to fulfill their orders. Before I knew it, my heart had already forgiven them. Still and silent, I stood there watching Johann, Aria and even Kiera mingle with the group, feeling strangely content with just watching, that is, until the sight of dark-blue hair floated past my eyes as Dante split himself from the group, being the lone wolf as he was, and took his eyes to the skies. Suddenly, the urging feeling that had been pushed back for so long re-emerged.

"Dante, wait..." Calling out to him proved a challenge itself, my words dying off mid-way. As my hand reached for him, trying to stop his steps, it felt as though everyone's eyes were on me. As calm as ever, he turned to me with observant eyes, those pupils looked as though no details could ever escape their sight. No reaction, no expression appeared on his face, it almost felt as though he expected this to happen. "...There's... something I gotta say." Though slightly taken aback, the nagging feeling pushed me on.

There, in the open fields in front of everyone, I gave a sharp bow of apology. When my eyes went back up again, surprise made its way on to Dante's face as his eyes widened themselves and his brows were raised. Though tiny, they did soothe the guilt that was still present in my heart.

"I'm sorry." Soon, I apologized with earnest words, forcing my eyes to look into his to show sincerity. Behind me, I could hear gasps of surprise coming out in quick sequence.

"... What?" Along with Dante's confused yet curious eyes came his voice, not betraying the look on his face, and yet, he stood there, as if waiting and giving me the chance to continue.

"Ever since you joined the Zanna Famiglia, I've never treated you as an equal." Eyes slowly drifting down, the shame kept rising up as I put out the disgraceful act I so desperately held on to, driven by fear and suspicion. "Insults and distrust aside, I kept berating you, saying the Famiglia was better off without you, the memory of your attempt at Amato's life fresh in the back of my mind..." As I went on, Dante's eyes, while still serious, softened quite a bit. I, on the other hand, clenched my fists and gritted down on my teeth.

"And yet, the moment you left Amato's side, he was nearly robbed from right in front of me..." With those words, my head no longer had the will to look up towards Dante, for the self-anguish was too much. "... I had no right to say those things to you, not when I was just as incompetent." When my words end, I felt my fists trembling, and everything else around me, the sounds and the sights, wavered in the face of the conflict in my mind.

Suddenly, my head was raised with an explosion of strength, fire burning within my eyes. I looked to Dante with an almost obsessive stare. Deep down, the blame I kept pushing on myself was not enough. The fact that everyone just dropped the issue of my failure gnawed the edges of my mind. "If you're angry with me, give me the punishment I rightly deserves!" With a roar, my eyes dropped to the ground once more.

I had no idea why I couldn't just forget about what happened. Maybe it was my pride, maybe it was my guilt. Something inside just kept engulfing my mind with images of what happened. I needed someone to help me forget. When my eyes wandered upwards again, all I saw was a fist raised in the air, before everything came crashing down!

"Crack!"

It took but an instant, before my vision fell to the side. By then, the sights and sounds really were wavering, my senses dulled from what just happened. My body crashed to the ground, my skin grazing against the many blades of cold grass that was under my feet just a few seconds ago. Moments went by before I recovered, realizing I was actually knocked to the ground, send off of my own two feet. A second later came a spike of surging, stinging pain which spread itself across the right side of my cheeks.

"Dante, you didn't have to hit him!" Kiera's voice kept me from phasing out, the waves of nausea and disorientation, though little and fading, locked down my body. Footsteps got louder, I could feel Kiera and the others crowding around me.

"Hey, Sergio! You okay?" Even Johann's voice sunk into a serious tone, worry masked over his voice. That sent my fingers jerking, and all feeling soon returned.

At first, it was all dark, even when I opened my eyes. It took me a while to realize my head's flat on the ground, and every attempt to move only resulted in a jolt of pain shooting forth from my jaw. Curbing the tremble in my body, my two arms gave the support my body needed to stand. Though the whole of my being was wrecked with pain, it felt so much better than before, as if the weight pressing down on my mind had disappeared. Looking up, I saw the faces of the members of the Zanna Famiglia, no, the faces of my friends, before a familiar arm reached out to give me a hand.

While the others turned their eyes with surprise, I gracefully accepted the gesture, even amidst my still wavering vision.

"I'm impressed you're still conscious." Dante, with his cold, calculative voice, spoke out like a robot, his tone almost monotonous.

"Don't worry. With my medications, he won't die even if he wanted to!" Behind us, Vito's words carried with them his usual snarky flair, partly boasting, partly sarcasm with a back-handed insult hidden behind the lines. Still, a small hint concerned could be felt, whether it was my imagination or not, I didn't care.

"There. Though the fault of what happened could be traced back to you, you have risked your life for the sake of the Famiglia as a whole, and as a result, our Boss came back safe." As I was pulled up to come face to face with Dante, his dark blue eyes hidden behind the strands of his dark blue hair gave off the unusual sense of softness I never thought possible. "All is forgiven. In my eyes, there is no one more worthy to stand my our Boss's side."

"I..." In truth, not only would no words come out of my mouth, but my mind had been reduced to a blank. I was left standing there, in front of everyone else, burdened by strange thoughts and even stranger emotions. Never had I thought Dante so forgiving, nor did I ever anticipate such kindness from him. "... Thank you." The words felt late when I said it. The ghostly image of the lone wolf, biding his time at our side just so he could strike when Amato got weak, instantly eroded at that moment.

Suddenly, I felt like the man named Dante Ignazio was someone I only knew by name, and nothing else. Overwhelmed by his acceptance, a certain memory re-surfaced, and my body moved on its own, my arm raised. To my surprise, Dante raised his own, knocking our elbows together under the evening sky.

"Sigh." When it was over, I fell backwards to the ground once more, my eyes now staring up at the stars above. Though my right cheek still stung a bit, my calm smile never disappeared for a second. Kiera and the others still had those worrying eyes even as they stood there watching. Come to think of it, the fireworks should be firing off any second now. Strange, compared to before, it felt so much more refreshing as I laid there facing up to the blackness of the night.

"Sergio?" Finally, Kiera's voice broke the silence, as she made her way to my side. Not wanting to face her from the ground, I quickly pulled myself up, before settling with just taking a seat on the cold grass, my legs crossed.

"Don't worry, I'm fine." I replied casually, trying my best to reinforce the message with a smile. Though my jaw cracked a bit, I heard a few breaths of relief coming from Kiera and the others a few seconds later. Then, the dusk of night became almost non-existent, after the loud whistle of the fire-works screeched through the air before engulfing the sky in an array of colors, light so bright I had to cover my eyes. Not before long, cheers and shouts burst forth from what was quite the quiet night, as the many families around us celebrated the start of the fire-works display with zeal and fervor. At the corner of my eyes, I saw Kiera and others lined up behind me. Even the Kaijin Palm were enjoying this moment by our side.

"Ha ha, look at them go!" A certain voice was loud enough to cut through all others. As I turned my eyes, Amato was seen in the distance, admiring the loud explosions in the sky with his hand pointing up to every one of them as they went off, with our new friend Hinata standing there calmly at his side, enjoying the outbursts my best friend was giving out while gazing at the lights herself.

"He's a great boss, isn't he?" Watching the scene, I couldn't help but speak my mind. My words were soft, I never intended to hear a reply because of how noisy it was getting. But, somehow, my companion beside me heard my voice amidst all others.

"He cares for every single one of our members, to the extent that he would be willing to hurt himself just so we wouldn't get hurt. I had never seen such a loving figure standing sitting atop the throne of leadership for any Famiglia before." I realized it was Kiera who heard me, mumbling out her words while her eyes were affixed on Amato, just as I was. In the light of her eyes I saw respect, concern and worry, all at the same time. "Yes, he's a great boss, a dear friend to us all. Though some might disagree, saying that such qualities does not befit the title of Boss, I can rightly say that we all feel... fortunate to have Amato as ours." When she stopped, it felt no need to continue, and we went back to admiring the display.

Mesmerized by the blinding light and hypnotizing colors, I couldn't help but think back on all the things that happened over these few days we spent here in Japan. Certainly, it had been a roller-coaster ride of discovery and surprise. Sure, there had been a few times when it felt real painful, difficult, but in the end, I'm glad things worked out rather peacefully. Still, I couldn't help but feel as though something big is going to happen soon, as if the peace now is but the calm before a storm. Before I knew it, my fingers had already fished out the crimson bullet from my pockets.

Holding it up to the sky, the small piece of metal looked dazzling, it's beautiful design enhanced by the many lights and colors as I stared at it with intent.

"Hey, you still have it with you!" Aria suddenly popped in front of me, looking very pleased with this minor act of holding the bullet in-between my fingers, before turning back to the skies. Though smiling, there was a sense of calmness behind her words, or perhaps a better description would be a more mature feel.

"No way... That's.." Dante spoke up next, having already standing at my side, his focus all but drawn to this item I kept as a charm. In his eyes, I saw a great deal of respect, which served to intrigue me even more.

"Well, what is it?" His enthusiasm got me hooked, reducing the ongoing display of light and sound to a small buzz. The more I glanced at the flame engraved onto the metal, crimson as if it was meant to signify the pulsing strength of fire itself, the more I wanted to know exactly what it does.

"It's the Dying Will bullet." Kiera then cut in with her voice returning to her serious tone. Her eyes no longer held the casual touch it had a few minutes ago. Even with Kiera, the awe and respect flowing out of her behavior as she laid eyes on the bullet seemed almost ridiculous. It was hard for me to believe strong fighter such as themselves were looking at a bullet as if it was a sacred weapon. "It is the one item capable of forcing out one's own Dying Will, the flames of resolution that burns within us all." The details were given out, Kiera continued her explanation while her eyes remained pinned, spouting terms I never heard before.

"... Dying Will?" The idea sounded far-fetched. Kiera spoke as if this 'will' within us can be harnessed as a power source. How was I supposed to believe this concept that has only ever appeared in stories? It sounded like something out of a manga!

"Dying Will Flames are to the Vongola Famiglia what Legacy Arms is to the Zanna Famiglia. These sacred flames, bound by tradition, has existed since the zenith of the Mafia age, back when fraternities and alliances were absent, and the world found itself drenched in conflict." In an almost prophetic tone, Kiera stood at my side, her eyes drawn into a daze as she went on, everything around her now seemingly unimportant. Perhaps it wasn't such a good idea bringing out this item when we're supposed to be enjoying our time at this festival.

"The exploits of their power, their capability, is nothing less than legendary." As her words ended, I felt a tinge of excitement, as well as a shot of adrenaline pulsing through my body. I was all but convinced, and couldn't help but tremble in awe as my eyes gazed upon the small bullet.

To the fields, the loud whistle of fireworks were dying down, with the lights slowing down with each burst. The sky was already turned into sea of surreal colors and soothing lights, all twisting and swirling around its own chaotic center. But, none of that mattered, for my attention was all focused on the Dying Will Bullet. The fact that I had been carrying such a fantastic item with me, one capable of such renown and respect, was almost too much for me to digest. Thinking back, maybe my instinct had already perceived it for what it was back when this legendary object was entrusted to me.

Is it destiny? Am I even allowed to use this power? It felt as though everything I've wished for had all the while been in my hands, it's just that I didn't realize it. Off chance, my eyes turned to Aria, who stood with both her hands gracefully placed before her. The Boss of the Arcobaleno, looking more serious than ever, gave me a bow of consent as if she heard the questions screaming through my mind.

That's right, whatever it is, I should walk the path the best I can!

"Kiera, tell me about the Dying Will." Pushing away my doubt, the words started to form, as naturally as they come.

"Oh? What exactly do you want to know?" My mentor, teacher and friend, replied with a curious tone. Maybe it was just me, but I got the impression she was testing my resolve. There was little point to disappoint Kiera, and so, I steeled my body from the tremble of excitement and uncertainty, and grit down on my teeth, before giving her my answer.

"Tell me everything."

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**Hey guys, I'm really sorry this came a week late. With my final project at school going on, I find my time slowly eroded into giving all of my attention to the all-important final task, and thus, my free time is becoming smaller by the day. Do you guys enjoy this chapter? With this revelation, what would Sergio do with the bullet next? Give me your thoughts in your reviews and I'll try and post the next chapter soon!**


	58. The Blazing Trail

**Author's Note:**

**I'm really thankful for my readers, more so than before. With words of encouragement, the flames of imagination within me, which had been slowly but surely fading, has been re-kindled! Time to progress this arc, and start the change that's coming!**

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**Chapter 57: The Blazing Trail**

"Right, here we are..." Without thinking, the words just pushed themselves out. I could feel a slight tremble to my movements as my steps stopped before the open school gate, and I was pretty sure it wasn't because of the chilly wind blowing against my hair. Though my eyes kept falling to the gift basket I had in my hands, all packed up to the brim by Kiera and Aria, I did caught sight of the surroundings though, a rural school that seemed peaceful, quiet. Just one glance convinced me that school life around here must have been quite routine and boring.

Just as my eyes lingered for a tad too long, a small hand suddenly clutched onto my shoulders, tensing me up. Turning around revealed every one of my friends at my back, Kiera, Sergio, Johann, Aria, Dante and Vito. Everyone looked normal enough, except Dante, Vito and Kiera had their eyebrows furrowed, a serious look on their face. With a nod, Kiera reminded of what I was supposed to do today.

The plan was to personally present a gift to Hinata, after all she's been through while with us. Kiera said that she could have ran in fear when the Kaijin Palm attacked, but she stood her ground, brave enough to follow us all the way to that warehouse. And so, as the Boss, I should reward her courage the best I could. Glancing towards my Kiera, it made me wonder why she's so insistent on this. These material gifts seemed lame in my personal opinion...

"They're not lame! We needed a remedy to your awkwardness in your expressions! Materialistic or not, whatever amount of sincerity these gifts can amount to will have to suffice!" Popping up her volume, Kiera roared out just as the thought formed in my mind, her eyes flaring up quite a bit. I think she got the impression that I'm blaming her for forcing me to do this task, which I'm not.

"I-I didn't say anything!" The suddenness of Kiera's voice caught me by surprise, and even without thinking, I blurted back in my own defense. My eyes immediately dart away from her face, the authority of her voice knocking my body into motion, as if it's become a habit. Not that I was in any position to go against it, arguing back with Kiera never ends well. For me, that is.

"You may not have voiced it out, but your face showed it all." Kiera slowly continued after turning down her voice, as I carried on with my steps, walking through the school gates, the wide, metal doors pulled open at the sides.

"You have to admit, you do get clammy sometimes, especially when you're trying to express yourself." Sergio popped into sight, trying to convince me to try and look at the brighter side to this display of gratitude. No doubt his Bushido Code was mighty proud of the act itself, my best friend was grinning from ear to ear.

Past the huge gates, the calm, serene scenery of the schoolyard was instantly brightened up by the many groups of student pouring out of the school, their voices bringing the touch of life to this otherwise slow setting. Stopping in a corner, strange looks were flashed towards us, wary glances. In a sea of brown blazers matched with black skirts and pants, we stood out like a sore thumb. That was when I also realized that we had no real idea of how to find Hinata besides waiting for her or just combing through the crowds.

In the end, we decided to just wait for her by the gates. Seeing the number of student going home, she's probably on her way. Despite Hinata's rather eccentric personality, I nevertheless believed she was rather popular among her friends, and expected to see her face among the crowds of girls making their way to the gates and out of school.

"We really don't have any other way to find Hinata besides waiting?" All that waiting around was wearing down my patience, or rather, it made me feel more an more uneasy with all the eyes on me. When I turned to Kiera and the others, they just turned away as if they didn't hear my voice. "Bah, I look the weirdest out of us all with this basket in my hands..." With no response again, I had no choice but to resume the wait in silence.

But, even as the sea of brown, filled with many laughter and voices thinned down right before our eyes, Hinata wasn't in any of them. The largest group soon appeared, their smile and laughter louder than any group before them. Just as I tensed at the thought of finally seeing Hinata again, I turn to my friends to see the same light in their eyes. We were all expecting the same thing, until the crowd disappeared on us as well, as Hinata appeared a few steps behind them, alone, with her eyes drawn to the ground.

"What..." The sight caught me by surprise so much thoughts went spiraling within my mind. Sure, my expectation may have been a bit too much, but Hinata sure doesn't strike me as a loner. The way she moves just gave off the presence of someone disconnected from all around her, so much that it was saddening.

"..."

Neither of us said anything, Sergio, Johann, Aria and Kiera just quietly brushed off whatever conclusions our minds came to. With a nod, I begin making my way towards Hinata with the gift basket in hand, putting up a smile on my face.

"Hey Hinata!" Calling out to her, her beauty made it easier to forget about the feeling from before. When the girl saw me, her eyes blew wide open with surprise, but she didn't say anything. For a few seconds, she stood with her pretty amber eyes looking right at me. Even after seeing Sergio and the others, all of them waving at her from behind me, she gave no reaction. Before I knew it, I began walking at her side. That was when her eyes closed as if she was trying to calm herself.

With the strands of her brown hair flickering from side to side as we walked, Hinata still looked as stunning as when I met her, even without her costume and her accessories. Her beautiful amber eyes made all the difference. That is, until my eyes fell on the bandages around her face.

"Are those... injuries?" I cried out in worry and surprise, pulling Hinata's right arm. As her sleeve drooped down, white, pasty bandages appeared, wrapped around her arm and disappearing into the sleeve itself. It was one thing to see bandages on the face, but another to see a whole arm bandaged! However, as soon as I pulled on her arm, she broke out of my grasp with unusual strength, her eyes shooting open and growing wary. The way she looked at me, fear and suspicion in the light of her eyes, made me think I might have gone too far, and I dropped the matter almost reflexively.

"What are you doing here, Zanna?" Hinata finally started talking, but the tone of her words were a strict one. She walked on with her hands on the handle of her bag, not turning to even look at me. Her steps, slowly getting faster and faster, told me that something's bothering her. Worried, I did my best to keep up with her pace, the words to say having vanished from my mind.

"Ahem, Lord Amato?" Kiera's voice brought my attention back to the gift basket on hand. Kiera seemed way more serious than before.

"Sorry about that, Hinata." First, the apology. When Hinata heard it, the frown on her face disappeared, but no smile took its place. If anything, I'm glad her eyes brightened up a bit, even if the wariness was still there. With my fingers shaking a bit around the handle, I slowly nudged the gift basket towards Hinata. "I'm really thankful that you stuck around and helped when I was... um.. kidnapped." Mentioning the absurd incident from a few days before made me break eye contact. Hinata's just a normal girl, she didn't have to see all that.

"This is my gift of gratitude, as Boss of the Zanna Famiglia." These few words, however, I made sure I looked straight into her eyes to show my sincerity as I presented the gift before her.

_Ba-dump. Ba-dump. Ba-dump._

Hinata accepted my gift without a single word, though she did looked slightly confused as she did. The crazy build up of tension left my heart beating, my face all heated up. As I stood there slightly shaking, I could feel myself sweating bullets even as I tried to calm myself down. I thought I was pretty calm, but the feelings just overwhelmed me when the act was over.

"Ha ha ha ha ha." What I thought to be Johann giggling and laughing away turned out to the voice coming out from my own mouth, my body's way of calming down was to laugh it off with a smile.

"Yeah, thank you very much for not running away when our blood was spilled." Sergio and Johann stepped in front of us, and gave Hinata their own small thanks as well, as if trying to back me up and help me out. Seeing my friends doing it did take away most of the tension, although I cringed when they smiled at the casual mention of blood. Soon, we all were laughing off at how awkward it felt just seconds before, as we continued our way pass the gates. Well, except for Hinata, who still looked worried, cautious.

Even with most of the remaining students on the way home giving us weird looks, our laughter came off as genuine joy, ringing across the previously serene, quiet courtyard of the school. In between my laughs, however, I wondered why Kiera, Dante and Vito still looked as serious as before, if not more so.

"Now, onto the primary objective..." Stepping in front and stopping us in our tracks, Kiera surprised me by speaking those words, her eyes pinned Hinata. That shut us up almost immediately, as we all could feel the intent just from Kiera's voice, she meant business. My mind was driven into slight chaos, Kiera never said anything about this.

"Hinata, hand over the crimson jewel, the stone of power." Kiera's tone turned low, as if pressure was poured forth from her voice alone. With that said, she began taking steps closer towards Hinata, while the rest of us were silent, Sergio, Johann, Aria and I were still confused while Dante and Vito watched on as if they knew this was gonna happen.

"Wh-what? I-I don't know what you're talking about!" It was strange, with each step Kiera took towards her, Hinata bounces behind another. A slew of emotions kept appearing on the look of her face, fear, confusion, disbelief then finally, anger. Though she denied what Kiera asked, her hands reached for what looked like a necklace around her neck, buried under her uniform. Whatever it meant, it told me Hinata had a good idea what Kiera wanted.

"Kiera, what are you doing?" Without thinking, the feeling that we've done something wrong instantly struck home, and I began to panic, calling out to Kiera. My eyes flying from one corner to another, I was relieved to find the school mostly emptied out of students, none of their curious eyes making this worse.

"This is the reason we came to Japan, my Lord." Instead of backing down, Kiera took on a more aggressive stance, clamping down on Hinata's wrist as soon as she jumped close enough. With hateful eyes, Hinata instantly broke out of Kiera's grip, surprising me and Sergio.

"Hah... Hah..." Hinata's breathing had became irregular, as she slowly backed away from us. This crazy thing happening must be hitting her harder than I thought.

"Kiera, maybe we should try this another day perhaps? You're going overboard with the asking..." Sergio, after recovering and assessing what happened, voices his opinion, trying his best to persuade Kiera after catching sight of Hinata's reaction. I can't say I disagree, inside of me boiled a clutching feeling, as if my body was forcefully against what it was seeing.

"No, with each day passing, the risk of the stone disappearing from our sights grows!" By this time, her eyebrows had furrowed. Kiera roared out a slight desperation I never heard before. Sergio and I was still stunned and confused, we stood there wondering why Kiera was so adamant about getting her hands on that object, what it exactly was.

"Hinata, give us Kujaku!"

My eyes widened on reflex upon hearing that particular word. The name was familiar, but it felt as though it was something I learned off a long time ago, the memory itself fuzzy and distorted. I think Kiera was the one who mentioned it to me.

"No, you can't have it! I won't let you!" With a blink of my eyes, I returned to the scene in Hinata's schoolyard, with her voice now filled with anger, roaring back at the Valkyrie. Gone was the confusion she had on her face, and her voice returned to her previous, dominant tone. Her fingers tightened into a fist, I could see Hinata's rising anger, feel the boiling emotions she was giving out. But, Kiera isn't someone who would give in to anything, to anyone. Ever.

"I wasn't asking!" Kiera declared with conviction in her eyes, violently gripping down on Hinata's wrist with her left hand again, but this time, I could see Kiera crushing her fingers down, pressing into the flesh with all her strength. Hinata winced in pain but never gave out a sound, her eyes still defiant. I stood between the two girls completely unknowing of what exactly they were fighting about, but I couldn't watch on.

"Enough!" What I planned to speak out came as a roar of anger. Next thing I knew, I had them pulled apart, my hands on each of their shoulders. Immediately, I pulled my hands back when I realized it out of embarrassment, still distraught over the chaotic turn of events. Kiera had her eyes pinned on Hinata, particularly around her neck, while Hinata massaged her wrist, all red over the vice-grip, with tears welling up in her eyes. With all her strength, she held them back while glaring at Kiera, then turning to me.

"Hinata... I... We're.." Apology was the only thing on my mind, but the lingering confusion made it difficult to gather my thoughts, to form the words. Her back turned on me, she was already walking away, one step at a time. As I stared at her back, I could see a slight shiver from her shoulders. Suddenly, she stopped and turned back at me.

"I thought you were different..." Her eyes, her face, before she broke off to a run, was painful to see. It was the face of someone betrayed and suffering. Her words, though few, was enough to drive the wedge of guilt into my heart. Just like that, silence resumed across the schoolyard where we stood. None of us knew what to say, and I think none of us wanted to speak even if we knew. My eyes fell to the ground while my mind sought for an answer, an explanation.

* * *

"Why did you do that? Explain yourself!" The stress had blew up the irritation pent up within me worse than I expected, as the first thing I did when we returned to our hotel rooms was yell out the question to Kiera. It was one of the few times I actually raised my voice against her. The sun was setting as everyone of my Famiglia cramped ourselves in my room, the orange light seeping into the room through the windows, tinting the walls with an orange hue.

Kiera just stood there, silent. She hasn't said a word ever since her outburst towards Hinata back at that school. Even as I demanded answers, her eyes looked back at me with cold, clear focus. The look in her eyes was always present whenever situations of extreme importance was happening within the Zanna Famiglia, where it felt as though the friend I had lived with for the past five years locked herself from everything else around her, with her mind only on the mission. It was a frightening sight.

"This... is the reason." Life suddenly entered her eyes as she spoke, pulling a folder out of nowhere and handing it to me with almost immediately, her movements stiff and precise. As the stuff inside the folder itself was unraveled, I couldn't believe my eyes. They flew from one corner to the other, from the notes, observations, newspaper cut-outs to the picture of a stone smeared by light. I couldn't read everything, but I kept seeing the one word that linked all of these things together.

"Kujaku..." That's right, that's the name of the object Kiera wanted from Hinata, the glowing stone from my dreams! With the revelation, my eyes flew wide open as I finally realized when I heard that name before.

"The second Legacy Arm, catalyst of the Zanna Secondo, must come into our possession no matter the cost! This is why I got us here to Japan!" As if justified for her actions, Kiera declared her reasons with conviction, blatantly ignoring just how angry I was feeling. The only thing holding me back from lecturing her was the fact that she did what she did for the Famiglia. In between our words, I could feel a strain in the air behind us, Sergio and the others must be feeling as conflicted as I am.

"Then why couldn't you at least told me? Why was Sergio and I left out in the dark?" The question came with a hushed tone of disappointment. This isn't the first time these things had happened, Kiera would sometimes carry out entire operations behind my back. Though the fact that it ultimately benefits the Famiglia and me softened up the problem, I always found myself reminding Kiera not to do it again, or at the very least inform me of it.

"Ngh..." Finally, her eyes shined with the light of regret, even if it was a fleeting one. Kiera understood the reason for my anger, and felt a tinge of regret. That much is enough for me.

"Sigh..." The swirling chaos in my mind finally began clearing, and I tossed myself onto my bed, thinking of what we should do now. Certainly, Kiera's words ring truth, the Zanna Famiglia will greatly benefit with Kujaku in our hands, as opposed to just having Fenris at our side. But, doesn't that mean I'll have to go through intensive training again? To master Kujaku? Argh, why do I have to be the only one who can use Legacy Arms? All the talk about bloodlines and whatnot, I didn't understand any of it!

Soon, my thoughts derailed to the point where my body twists and turned around in bed, fear, confusion and reluctance pouring out of me. In the end, it only meant more stuff piling up for me in the future, and more pain being drilled onto my body.

"Ahem."

I didn't know whose voice it was exactly, but that brought me back into the hotel room, with everyone else huddled around me with curious eyes. Darn, I forgot that they were still in the room!

"Ah ha ha ha ha... " The only thing left for me to do was just sit back up and laugh it off. I don't know exactly why, but everyone looked more relaxed than before, as if the moment my conflicting emotions left me, the tension within my Famiglia vanished as well.

"In any case, Lord Amato, we'll need to get to Hinata's residence and obtain that Legacy Arm." Kiera declared once more, the cold, almost emotionless side she showed a few minutes before now all but evaporated. In swift motion, she whipped out her cell phone and brought it to her ears. Strange, who could she be contacting? Everyone's here-! That was when I realized Dante was missing. Thinking back, I didn't feel his presence for a while now, could it be that he didn't actually come back with us?

"You already looked her up?" My question was replied with a sharp nod from Kiera. That must mean she checked out all she could and obtained every piece of information regarding our new Friend. Even when I understood the nature of this act, something we always do when making acquaintances, I still found myself shaking my head gently in disagreement, as if it was my body's way of reminding myself.

"Hinata... I wonder how she's doing... Will she really hand over the Legacy Arm just because we asked?" The memory of what happened bursts into my mind whenever any thought of her surfaces. The look on her face was difficult to forget. She seemed really distraught when it happened. Kiera's forceful try at obtaining the Arm aside, she seemed overprotective of that pendant. Then, a flash of white, dull linen came into mind.

"Right, not to mention those painful injuries I saw..." That heavily wrapped arm was painful to look at, I still wonder how she got them, they certainly don't look like small injuries.

"What did you say...?" Just as I got up on my feet and began to get ready, just as everyone else, Kiera stopped after hearing my words. A wave of change left her stunned for seconds, going deep into her thoughts.

"Yeah, her right arm was covered with linen, and her face seemed to be covered with scratches..." The eyes of my Famiglia grew worried as I described what I saw, plucking it out from the image in my mind. Perhaps I was the only one who actually noticed them, still, it doesn't explain why Kiera's so affected by a few injuries Hinata has here and there.

"Of course!" Her voice almost pilling out, Kiera's eyes exploded, one look and any of us could tell it was dire. "With the Arm being so powerful, and thus, valuable...!" The words she muttered out gave me no real idea of what thoughts were going on through her head, but sweat started falling. Kiera was losing her cool, getting worried, a crossed expression on her face.

"Wait, w-what's wrong?" Her emotions were contagious, as I got worried in the next instant. After all, Kiera rarely gets worried over anything!

"No time to explain, Lord Amato, we need to go!" Yelling out to not just me, but the rest of my Famiglia as well, her thundering steps broke past the door as soon as her words ended. Slight panic seeping into me, I turned to Sergio and the others, only to see them as just as confused as I am. With no objections, we stormed out of the room behind the steps of the Black Valkyrie.

* * *

**Sorry for the late update, I know, it's been a week or two. It seems I'm getting blocked in the mind, I hope it clears soon. Hit by a revelation, Kiera leads Amato and the rest of the Famiglia in what seems like a race against time! Just what's happening? Whether you like this chapter or hate it, I would love to hear your thoughts in your reviews!**


	59. As The Sun Sets

**Author's Note:**

**With all that's happening, I wonder, what do you guys think of Hinata? When designing her, I wanted her to be eccentric, unique and sometimes unbelievable, so I hope my writing showed it! She ties herself into the story, being the integral part of this arc. Let's see what else I have in store for her, shall we?**

* * *

**Chapter 58: As The Sun Sets...**

**Child Of The Sun**

"... Stupid!" A certain word was heard throughout the empty streets as I walked on, the path slowly leading me back home. No matter how much I tried to look up, my eyes just fell to my feet, as I took one step after another on the concrete path. "... Idiot!" Another outburst screamed out, which made me wonder just who was the one doing it. Doesn't she know just how disruptive her own voice is? Not to mention the fact that everyone in the streets would find themselves drawn to the commotion like moths to a flame, so it certainly doesn't do anyone good.

"Grr... Stupid Amato!" The scream was louder than the ones before, the voice feeling as though it resonated from where I stood.

"Eh?" A cry of surprise, I opened my sight to a pair of amber eyes and dark brown hair, short strands flying with the wind. Through the reflection of the glass, I saw my fingers curled up into a fist, my shoulders shaking slightly. I was the one who had been crying out, venting out my emotions. I was confused, the feeling coursing through me was new. Why am I feeling so frustrated, why am I getting so caught up over what Amato and his friend said back at school?

Deep in thought, my fingers dug out the item I wore around my neck, the one I always had with me no matter what happened. The very item Kiera was asking for. From under my shirt came a deep, crimson red stone, emblazoned by a golden piece of metal stretching across it's side in the shape of a majestic wing.

"Mom... Dad..." Gazing upon the object, I spoke the words as the memory appeared. This is only thing I have left of them, the one item they entrusted to me. Why do others always try to take it away from me? I can't give it to Amato, no matter how much I want to. I'm... scared, afraid that I'll lose the connection with my parents, that I'll forget about them, the memories buried deep into my mind...

Suddenly, an orange glare flashed into my eyes, prompting me to raise my hand to shield them from the sun. It was evening already. How long was I standing there, washed and swept around, immersed in my own thoughts and memories? I need to get home. With that decision, my steps began pushing themselves onwards, slowly, weakly, but surely.

"_It's nice seeing you again! Even if it's only been a few hours!" His smile, that innocent smile, it felt so true, so sincere, without a hint of lie._

"Why can't I get that smile of his out of my mind?" By now, I was more annoyed than confused. No, I'll never give this to him, no matter how much I want to be his friend! If Amato wants to be my friend, then he should understand! My steps turning into stomps, it felt as though my body tensed as I tried to convince myself that my thinking was the logical one.

That was when I felt the wind shift, a slight rustle against my skin. Though small, it was enough to blow my eyes wide open, pulling my attention back to my surroundings. I knew what that meant, I had been taught to know, my body could sense and move as if struck by reflex. Without hesitation, my bag was tossed to the side as if it was a piece of junk, but, in this situation, the only thing I needed to save was myself. A split second later, my knees bend and pushed myself forward, my body putting all its strength into that jump.

Before my body crashed, in the glare of the orange sun, I saw a small, elongated piece of metal flying towards me, barely missing my left shin. The piece of metal struck the ground, and the tiny impact caused the concrete floor to rupture, sending cracks spreading all across. It was scarcely believable.

"Guh...!" Falling down, my body crashed, rolling along a few feet away. I opened my eyes to a ruined street, the concrete floor wrecked and broken, just because of a tiny piece of metal thrown against it. My mind screamed for me to move, but when I did, I felt my shin sting, as well as a wet liquid flowing down my skin. It turned out the attack did hit me, as my shin was ravaged, a cut spreading across the surface of my leg. The fall brought it all back, what happened these few days, the throbbing from my arms.

They're coming! Just like the day before! My senses screamed for me to move, urged me to hasten myself even as I supported my body up to my feet. On a side glance, the streets wasn't just empty like I thought, it was devoid of life. It made me shudder to think what happened to the many people who was on their way home. As night rapidly approaches, the shadow in the sky spreading before me eyes, I pushed myself to move despite the awful sting biting down on my left shin.

"I have... hah.. to get home... hah..." Plucking my bag from off the ground, my limping body brought me forward with panting breaths. My first thought was to lose myself in the crowds, that way whoever who was pursuing me would lose sight of their target, just as I did for the past few days, but my eyes flew from corner to corner, and not a soul came into sight. The solitude drove a weird feeling into my heart, I couldn't help but find myself slowly losing to fear. But, even so, I kept on dragging my body in the direction of my house.

_Throb._

Who is it? It's been three days, and I still haven't caught a peep of who's trying to take me out! At this rate I'll just be a toy to be tossed around in their hands! My breaths formed white, icy clouds before my eyes at irregular intervals as I broke into a jog, each step aggravating the wound on my leg, the feeling slowly whittling away. Atop the rooftops, I saw no one, which made no sense. Judging from the trajectory of the projectile, the person must have been somewhere tall, at least a few stories higher than where I stood.

Swoosh.

"Hup!" Another sharp cut in the air, but this time, my senses were ready for it. Jumping to the sides with my uninjured leg, one tap on the ground with my free hand was all I needed to twist my body to another direction, leaving no chance for any backlash to hit me. When I realized yet another projectile flew towards me, aiming for my face right after the first one, a slight shift one momentum threw my body a few feet forward, and inverted somersault before I landed on my two feet.

_Ba-dump._

When I turned for a look at the weapon used against me, the scene was a shocking sight, enough to jolt my heart into a slight frenzy. The ground behind me cracked, looking as though it had been smashed by a wrecking ball. In the two craters, a pick-like object was left standing, rooted firmly into the concrete.

What kind of monster is at the end of those throws? A single shot breaks the earth and shatters the ground! The last few days were just regular gun-shots, now this is getting ridiculous!

"Kuh, what grace, embedded deep into your bones as if in tandem with the symphony of death..." A disappointed tone came out of nowhere, the voice somewhat hushed, as if the person was speaking out from far away. "It seems our intel was right after all... No wonder Koenig couldn't get a good shot at you..." For whatever reason, the man behind the voice began trailing off, carrying on with his words. Even as shocking as it was, my steps never faltered, and soon, I reached the Residential District of Akiba.

Rows of houses seeped into sight, separated by walls two meters tall. The whole scene was as eerily devoid of life as before, not a single sound could be heard as I limped my way towards my house. There were no lights shining forth from the many houses as well, and they looked abandoned in the shadow of the night. I felt like a mouse driven into a maze, my hunter carefully watching me from the shadows, prowling with a crazed smile on his face.

_Ba-dump. Ba-dump._

"Well... He did had to leave your life intact..." Instantly, the meaning of his words hit home, the confidence behind them painfully convincing. The sudden voice crushed any hope I had of losing him, making my body jump and sending my nerves to full panic. Desperate, I searched for him high and low, not to strike him down, but to better prepare for his assault. From his speed before, something told me he was holding back.

"but I don-"

Before his dreadful words could finish, just as I expected a fatal shot aiming for my heart, silence resumed across the empty streets. There was a sound, perhaps the only sound resonating down from above, muscles torn in an instant, the sound of a person suffering a hit from a gunshot.

"Gah! A sniper! Where is he?" The voice, so calm and collected before, instantly fell to madness, spewing out his words in anger and panic. But, the strange thing was that I didn't hear any gun fire at all, not even a shot muzzled by a silencer. A terrifying thought began to linger in my mind. Can a gun fire in absolute silence? In the deserted road of the district, I fumbled through the gates and onto my front-yard. The pain from my ravaged shin were sending waves of weakness throughout the rest of my body, it was only a matter of time before my legs refused to move.

_Throb._

"Hah... Hah.. Hah... Have to.. fix the wound..." Along with my disembodied voice, mixed with its own set of pained, panting breaths, my vision flickered. The pain was doing a fine job of hindering me as my fingers searched the numerous keys ringing as I pulled them out, blurring their shapes out as I brought them to my eyes. The constant pounding of my heart was giving me a headache.

"Slam!"

My door was shut the moment I slipped right into the house through an opening just big enough for me. I had to be quick, nimble, there was no room for carelessness. Within what felt like a sanctuary, my body was thrown to the door, as if I subconsciously wanted to prevent that hunter from following my steps. Sliding down to the floor, when I raised my arm, I saw the tremble to my touch, so forceful, so wild, the feeling of fear was spilling out, no matter how much I wanted to push it away.

_Ba-dump. Ba-dump. Ba-dump._

I didn't care about what had happened outside, why my pursuer was attacked, nor was I concerned about paying back what that man did to me. All I wanted was to hide myself, to escape from the danger, to run away. Inside the house, translucent light beaming in from the moon through my drawn curtains, I sat there stunned, barely keeping myself consciousness with all that's happening. It must have been past eight or so, as the dusk of the night sky felt dense, and cold seeped through the windows.

"Guh... hah... hah.. grr..." When what little of sense returned to my mind, the throbbing of my wound no longer pounding down like war-drums, confusion was replaced with annoyance, fear with anger. To see myself in such a pathetic state, one I always try to avoid, was sickening. I always told myself; I'm different from the others, I've been through more pain, loneliness left my life cold and distant. The only way to keep myself from breaking down was to stay strong! Dammit! Dammit all! In spite and fury, my hand pulled out the same pendant I held on to a few hours ago. I felt angry, hateful and afraid as I looked at it, all at the same time.

"It's all your fault! Why can't they just leave me alone?" Following my train of thoughts, my eyes shut as I ripped the pendant off of my neck, the detachable chains holding it up separating itself as I did. As soon as I heard the click, I threw my hand out. Tears started falling, despite my efforts to keep them in, flowing down the side of my face. At that moment, I just wanted to see that cursed item disappear.

But, my fingers remained shut, tightened around the stone as if refusing my command.

"_... Now, chin up. You're a strong one, so dry those tears. It's normal to cry, but never cry for the same thing twice."_

The voice in my head, a memory I didn't knew I could still recollect, made me pull the pendant back, holding it close to my heart. That's right, it may have been the item that brought many misfortune upon me, but it was also the tiny little speck of light, a sun shining forth the light of the past. Somehow, staring into it's crimson center always helped me pull through the toughest times, bringing back the memories of Mom and Dad, from before they passed...

"Sniff... right, first's thing's first, I'll need to clean my wound..." Strength slowly coming back, I realized I was already halfway across the empty living room, making my way towards the first-aid. I've had help from before, lessons on how to protect myself. I don't need to throw away the only thing I have of my parents. Amidst the warm memories, the smile of my new friend re-appeared. Now I know why Amato seemed so approachable compared to others who came before me. He gave off the same warm feeling as my parents did, as if he would accept me no matter how I acted, what I did.

"Clank. Crink. Clank."

Metal sound, soft but sharp, rang forth from behind me. The sound of bullet shells striking the marble floor of my house. Immediately, the presence made itself known, right behind me, as if materializing out of thin air. No, more like he was hidden. Just how long had he been there?

"Well, a little interference there, but now that it's taken care of, we can get back to our business." The same high-pitched voice from before, speaking to me as if I was no big deal, nothing but an insect in his eyes. Whoever it was, he sure loved to talked, he wouldn't have spoke before killing me if he didn't. "It's not like we didn't give you a choice, Amato asked nicely, didn't he?"

_Ba-dump._

Emotions stirred within me, chaotic and out of control. That one word, that particular sentence, was enough to start off the chain reaction. What did he mean by that? … Amato sent these guys to hunt me down? He wanted this pendant so badly he would have me killed?

"No... Y-you're lying!" I didn't know why I spoke out to him when I should have been trying to escape. Honest desire was met with the indescribable feeling of betrayal. One side of me started cracking down, while the other held on by the edge of the cliff, never giving in to the lies of this stranger. Soon, my mind convinced itself that it was all a lie, wishful thinking on my part. I wasn't even afraid anymore. In the cold, dark living room, I could care less about the killer behind me.

"He was done playing nice, too much effort, he said." As if driving the stake deeper into my heart, the man, with his sharp tongue, spoke out the words that led my mind astray. My shoulders shook with convulsions, my fingers curled into fists, before I knew it, my teeth was gritting down, pressing against each other. It felt like an instant, but it also felt like an eternity. My body bounced as my emotions peaked, and my eyes blew themselves wide open with shock and anger.

The last thing I saw was the light shining forth from my pendant before the familiar glow wrapped itself around my body...

* * *

**I hope you're not too confused with who this is. A new perspective emerges from Amato's new friend from Japan! It turns out she's not just a normal girl after all! Just what is her connection with Amato and the Zanna Famiglia? Why is the Legacy Arm in her hands? And what exactly is she capable of? Keep your eyes out for the next update to find out! And don't forget to voice your thoughts in your reviews!**


	60. Those Who Hunted

**Author's Note:**

**The action escalates, and adrenaline rushes as Amato and his Famiglia rushes to uncover the truth, to retrieve the next Legacy Arm, as well as to help their new friend! What has happened to Hinata? Is her life in jeopardy? Will the sacred item of the Zanna Famiglia slip away from the their grasp once more? I guess the only way to know is for you to read on!**

* * *

**Chapter 59: Those That Hunted.**

The night sky, one usually darkened by shadows, deep in the hue of black and blue, is now lit up by a soft tint of orange and red. Clouds scatter as if in fear of what is happening. As we rushed towards our destination, the sky gave me no real comfort. Soon, a great number of sounds hit my ears, amidst the voices of my friends, my Famiglia. When we saw the bloodstains a few blocks back, we got riled up. Occasional glances to the sides showed me Sergio and the others gritting down on their teeth, worry spilled all over their faces. It only made me move that much faster.

"Hah... Hah... Hah..." Our heavy breathing was soon drowned out by chatter, as well as the call of a horn almost anyone is familiar with.

"WheeeoooooWheeeooooWheeeoooo !" The howling horn was only a soft warning to the sight we would lay our eyes on, one which would drive us into slight panic and disbelief.

Many of the people living in this district had already came out, gathered around where we were heading. There, the one house standing that had captured everyone's attention, was ablaze with red and orange flames. Sparks kept churning out from the burning house, the charring of wood could be heard. The faint smell of soot almost suffocated me as we got close. The murmur of the public was only overpowered by the blaring horn of the firetruck as well as the movements and commands of the few firefighters at the scene.

My mind was stressed out, thoughts swirling in a chaos. It was difficult to even focus with everything happening around me. Somehow I found my eyes staring into the fiery whips of flames licking down on Hinata's abode, as if hypnotized by the light and flare.

Then, as if drawn out from deep within my memory, I recall the dreams I had been having.

Charred flesh, screams of agony. The masses curling, swallowed the by the sea of flames. Debris falling everywhere. I could feel my skin drying up, cracking in the heat. My body ached just by being in close to the flames. The sensations I felt in that dream surfaced for a few seconds, almost devouring my mind. It left my body trembling with weakness as my mind tried to process the images flashing by in that instant. Then, my imagination took over, bringing up Hinata's face, how she suffers while being slowly roasted within the flames. Trapped and dying in the place she would call a sanctuary, in the place she call home.

"Gah! Hinata! Hinata's in there!" My body was suddenly overcome with wild panic, my eyes widening in shock. It felt similar to the time when I almost lost myself to the feral grip of my Awakening. My steps burst forward, despite the fact that several firefighters and civil workers had us held back with yellow and black caution tapes. The voice of my friends calling out to me were muzzled, and all the sounds around me became hardly audible.

"We need to save her! She don't deserve to suffer like this!" Hands clutched down on my shoulders, but my body just kept pushing. It was more of a reflex than anything else. A sharp turn to the sides showed me Kiera's face full of concern, with Sergio and Johann yelling out to me, their voices muted.

Then, the wave of compulsion just disappeared, the tremble to my touch slowly faded away.

"...sent in some people to search... do our best to save your friend..." The blurry faces and muzzled voices from the ones blocking my way and holding me back began making sense. The whole experience, the rising of such a sensation, left me disoriented. It felt very much like the inertia from when I got up to my feet from my seat after having sat down for a while. Many eyes of the public had fell on me because of my reaction, all while the roaring blaze of orange and red hissed and cackled in the distance.

"Amato, what happened?" Sergio yelled out his words, a hint of despair in the tone of his voice. In response, I turned to see Kiera and Sergio, and even Vito at the back, greatly concerned over what just happened.

"Vito, what's wrong with him? Why'd he jump like that?" Kiera roared out to Vito with the same desperation, her voice telling me even she was slightly afraid, hoping Vito's answer would appease her unease. Instead, Vito spoke no words, and just gave me as well as the others a puzzled yet serious look. I guess he himself didn't know why I went into that outburst. Johann and Aria just stood there watching, with concern. I think they didn't know what should be said.

Then, as my sight drifted to the sides, my eyes caught the flash of a familiar dark blue, as well as the particular ornate sniper rifle tapping the ground, being used as support.

"Dante!" I could say I wish I didn't see him like that, slowly making his way towards us while dragging his body forward. His eyes were squinting, I could see the marks under them showing the amount of stress he had went through. His blue shirt was stained at the side in dark red, and shocked as I was, I could see the stain slowly growing in size. As Vito wasted no time getting to work, pulling out bandages and casts out of nowhere, the rest of us were left stunned in disbelief.

"Several punctured muscles, a rip in one of his main arteries. Would've been real bad if we didn't find him sooner." Vito's clinical assessment was devoid of emotions, but the meaning of his words was enough to drive me into panic. "What the hell did this?" There, with the next line came the tone of worry and slight disbelief, even fear. Vito just had his eyes pinned on Dante, doing his best to fix him up. It was when his eyes lingered on to Dante's wounds did they sharpened with anger and focus.

"Will he be all right?" Before I could say anything, Kiera's commanding voice burst out, full of concern and anger. I don't blame her, none of us expected Dante to fall, with such serious injuries even. Something told me Kiera was blaming herself for sending Dante in alone.

"He'll be okay, but we can't have him moving." Vito replied without taking his eyes off of his hands, which were tightening the bandages and gauze around Dante's wound. The rest of us were silent, we just looked at each other with fearful eyes, worried for our comrade. Sergio must have had taken it hard, as all I saw him did was stare at Dante with fire in his eyes, unmoving. Sweat rolled down his brow as his fists trembled.

Who was the one who did this to Dante? Who would be capable enough? Are they after the Legacy Arm as well? Questions after question popped up in my mind, as I watched Dante being put to rest by Vito while he gave him the full-body check, making sure there were no injuries that escaped our sights. Despite Vito's suggestion, Dante refused to lie down, be it on the ground or on the nearby bench, his stubbornness choosing to lean on the walls instead.

Fear emerged from my thoughts, giving birth to a slight tension that gripped the whole of my body. Worry for Hinata only drove my mind further to the edge. I didn't know what to think, which issue to focus on. But, looking at Dante, the tension in my body soon exploded. Dante, he didn't have to suffer like this, he didn't have to get hurt! His injuries became the only thing in my mind, and soon, my fear warped into something else entirely, evident from the grit on my teeth and my fists, the fingers digging deep into my flesh.

"Darn it!" I screamed out, eyes widened, surprising everyone with the volume of my voice alone. Fear became anger. It was a simple thing.

I'm just furious at whoever did this to my friend.

"... Ngh.. Wait..." For the moment, my anger was sapped by the sound of Dante's voice. Surprised, we focused our attention at him to see him waking up and trying to speak. It was still very difficult to face him, to see him in pain. "Boss... I'm sorry for failing you like this..." Dante mumbled on, his words barely loud enough to reach us amidst the dwindling fire and the chatter of the public a few blocks away. The words were a shock to hear. I didn't want to hear Dante blame himself for fighting and getting hurt, and I certainly don't want him to state that it was his own fault that it happened.

"All... is not lost... She's... still alive..." After we all calmed down and Vito gave his approval, Dante begin his explanation, capturing our attention with his first line of words. As he recalled the memory from within his mind, we watched a awe seeped into the light of his eyes, he was more amazed than anything else. "I watched as the explosion occurred, a flash of light and a pulse of energy before the flames engulfed the whole of the house, and nothing else..." Dante continued, speaking as if he still didn't believe his own eyes.

"The girl called Hinata walked out of her burning home, untouched by the roaring flames spreading out all around her. That was the last thing I saw before blacking out."

Right after Dante finished, his body dropped downwards as he fell into a deep sleep. Immediately Vito took over and begin taking care of him, and Kiera and the rest of us were left with pondering on this piece of news. A small smile stretched across my face before disappearing a split second after. Hinata's still alive! It was all my own imagination! Turning to the fire, I'm glad what I saw in my mind wasn't reality. There were another problem though, she might still be in danger!

We have to help her!

"So, Hinata's still alive, there's a good chance the Legacy Arm's still with her..." Just as I made the promise in my mind, Kiera gave her declaration one step ahead of me. Recovering quicker than everyone else, she quickly regained control of the situation, bring her hand to her cheeks while deciding on what we should do next. The very sight was a relief, it reminded me of how strong Kiera is, a facet of her that I greatly admire."But, where else could she have gone to...?" It was the same question we all shared, the very question that left us stuck there if unanswered.

"I... think I have an idea." To everyone's surprise, including my own, I spoke out in response. The image in my mind suddenly became so clear, the location, the memories, the visions. Though I wanted Vito to bring Dante back to the hotel room, Kiera assured me that he would be safer coming with us. With no time to lose, we began moving towards the location I had in mind.

I just hope I'm right about this.

* * *

Through the city we went, my steps fumbling onwards, leading my Famiglia to that particular place. Pushing our way on foot, images began playing in my mind, memories, visions and voices. I only knew of one thing certain. They weren't of my own.

"_You can't have friends anymore." The familiar high pitched voice spoke out as if teaching whoever that was listening. With the voice came a blurry sight of a baby in a black suit, the sight itself hardly believable. His face was blocked off in my mind, but the pacifier around his neck was of a clear yellow. There is no doubt he's one of the Arcobaleno. My vision shifted, the pair of eyes in my mind coming face to face with a huge boulder. Then, without warning, fist began raining down on the giant rock, pain splitting onto my knuckles. _

_Glances showed me cuts, bruises and bandages all over the pair of hands. I knew it was the same girl my senses followed in my dreams, but, just what the heck is she doing? The stuff she's doing looked painful. Was it training?_

Information surfaced in my mind, experiences that felt as though it was my own. Whatever my friends were speaking, asking or calling out became blocked off. I don't know what was happening to me, why it was happening to me. Truth be told, it had me worried. The sights I was seeing before me as we moved, the many buildings of the city known as Akihabara, distorted with what my mind saw. The shapes, the placement, they looked eerily similar.

_Regular skyscrapers that stood tall and proud right now, flashes past my eyes and changes to ones engulfed to the brim with wildfire. Soot and ash fills my nose as opposed to the pleasant breeze I should be feeling. My senses felt overwhelmed by what I should be feeling and what should have been nothing more but a memory. The scene in my mind showed the passing of the streets at high speed. When I looked down, I saw drops of water hit the asphalt ground. The girl was crying, and she was running back home. _

_I was left confused, but greatly concerned. Her feelings seeped and melded with my own._

"Amato, what's wrong?" Kiera's concerned voice brought me back, snapping my eyes back to what we were doing. Rushing through the main streets, tears had began forming around my eyes. When the rest of my friends saw me, I just shake my head and wipe those tears away. There wasn't time to find out what's happening to me, Hinata's safety was all that mattered.

"I-I'm fine..." I don't think my stuttered words were any help, but I gave my friends no chance to respond, and only hastened my steps.

"_Anyone can be an enemy, every heart is capable of light as well as shadow. Do not let your guard down for anything. One misstep can cost you your life." The instructions were horrible, they frightened the girl as they sure frightened me. The tone of voice was cold, heartless, and it was repeated, drilled into the girl everyday for five whole years. But, the most painful thing was that it was true, no matter how much the girl didn't want to believe it. Her memories had all but convinced her. It made her fearful, distrusting of anyone who approached her._

_It was a horrible way of teaching, of raising the girl. I felt as years of such negative emotions suffocated my being in an instant as the memories nearly overwhelmed my mind. All the while, the Arcobaleno made sure she had sufficient training, drilling into her body so much training it nearly broke her bones. She honed her instincts, sharpened them to the peak._

"Amato?" Out of nowhere, a hand landed on my shoulders. Though I saw Sergio's face, on reflex, his arm was pushed away, almost violently. The distrust made my best friend's eyes sink into utter confusion. I don't blame him for such worry, I, myself, couldn't comprehend what was happening.

"S-sorry, Sergio. I'll explain myself later." Again, I pushed my own problem aside, and focused my mind back at the mission. We were close, it was just a few blocks away now. I hoped the memories don't get worse.

"_You have an affinity with fire, that much is clear..." That Arcobaleno who is both hated and loved by the girl, continued with the training. The girl, already exhausted from her training, stood while doing her best ignoring the spiking pain from her muscles. In her hand was a torch, lit by an orange flame, which charred and cackled, burning on with great fervor. "But, it is up to you to master that affinity. Grab it, grab that flame with your bare hands."_

_The girl was terrified at the idea, but the doubt quickly vanished when she looked into the Arcobaleno's eyes. Trust had all but convinced her it was something that must be done. And so, without hesitation, I watched as the hand reach and covered the flame, holding it by the charred end of the torch._

"_Ah!" As expected, pain shot up from her sense of touch, and she cried out and pulled back her fingers. My vision, her eyes, began feeling really wet. Blisters formed around her skin, the sting of pain was unbearable. Immediately, I started hating that baby, but the girl's fearful emotions was drowning into me, influencing my own. Fear not from having to do the training again, but from the fact that she wouldn't be able to complete the training, and leave her companion and mentor disappointed._

_And so, she did the very same training countless times, each time the pain worse than before. Tears fell but she kept on going, days after days. Progress came slowly, soon the flames did not burn her, they lost the capability to harm her, instead, being reduced to a soft, warm embrace._

"_You need not fear the insults they toss your way at school..." The scenery had changed, the situation as well. For some reason, the Arcobaleno speaks with a comforting tone, as the two of them stared at the setting sun. The painful hue of orange slowly disappearing before their eyes._

"_A memory and tribute to your parents, wear the name they've given you with pride..."_

"Amato!" This time, Johann's face was the one there when I got out of the daze. Just as I heard the name, my mind returned to reality, with the rest of my Famiglia at my side. "You okay? You've been acting really strange..." To have him so concerned, my reactions must have been a lot more worse than I thought. With a gesture, I assured him it was all right after calming down. Turning to the side and looking down to the ground, I took a moment to collect my thoughts, all that I've seen in the short instance we spent coming here.

"So that's it... That's her true name..." I whispered to myself, confirming my own thoughts. Looking up, the very building stood before me, a charred, empty shell of what it was before. It was the only building in this particular district that looked exactly as it did in my memory. The edges were burned black, many of the windows were shattered. Even the land around it was devoid of life, no grass had grown over the ground, and the sand remained a dull, lifeless gray.

"Hayashi Industries... Are you sure this is the place?" Kiera asked her question out loud to me while standing a few steps away, reading the sign near the entrance, barely standing after so long.

"Yes, this is the place." I replied with certainty, a confident tone to my words. Before I lead the rest of us into the worn down building, though, I found my eyes wandering towards Aria, who had been following us with no complaints. She might be one of the eldest among the group, but as Boss, should I really bring her with us? She might get hurt, and I don't want to bring harm to the Boss of the Giglio Nero Famiglia. I couldn't believe how often I nearly forget about that single piece of important information.

"Aria, we might really be in danger inside, so maybe you'd want to stay out? Return to the hotel, maybe?" My words came out softer than I expected. It felt as though I was doing something unreasonable. Looking at Aria, she just bounced her way in front of me.

"C'mon, if we don't hurry, Hinata might get really hurt!" She dodged my question completely, replying in her usual tone with her usual attitude. Excited and a bit wild, she rushes with her white coat fluttering behind her.

"Aria, listen! You're the Boss of the Giglio Nero, I can't have you-" Without thinking, I reached out and grabbed her left arm before she got ahead of me, becoming annoyed and insistent on my thinking. That was when she turned and faced me with a serious look, one of concern and worry.

"She's my friend too, Amato Zanna." Suddenly, I just let go of her arm. Unsure whether it was fear or respect, my mind scolded itself about how selfish my thoughts were before dropping the idea completely.

"Right, I'll keep a look out on the rooftops while taking care of this guy. We can't have any reinforcements coming in for the enemies." Vito quickly declared his proposal before jumping up the buildings like a ninja while carrying Dante over his back, much to mine, Sergio and Johann's eyes of disbelief. With nothing holding us back, we began moving through the broken doors, maneuvering through the many debris scattered across the ground-floor itself. If it's anywhere, she's gotta be here!

* * *

The first thing I noticed when we stepped into the lobby was the revolting smell, dried blood, rusted metal, the assortment of odors shot up my nose. It took a whole lot of effort just to suppress the urge to puke. Slowly, my strength was gathered and I took one step after another. It was dark, the shadows held a seeping feel, as if within every dark corner there was something on the prowl. Presence leaked out from every inch of the room, confusing our senses.

"Ugh..." It wasn't long before we started voicing out our emotions, Sergio being the first one to. There was just an inch of light coming in from the moon through slips and cracks, so we stayed close and moved as one, as much as we could. As we wandered on, the hopes of finding her on the ground floor, in the lobby itself, grew smaller and smaller.

"Why the heck is this wreckage still here anyway?" Johann asked out, doing his best to curb the silence slowly filling the room. Our steps brought us to the center of the lobby, where Kiera had her eyes observing the elevator situated in the center.

"An unsolved case." Kiera finally responded to Johann's question, one which got the rest of us riled up with curiosity as well. "Ten years ago, a fire razed the town of Akiba, burning everything to the ground, buildings and people." Making her way in front of us, she began reciting the explanation as if honoring those who died back then, her voice calm, soft, solemn. "It was suspected that this building was the prime target of the arson." She continued, her brown eyes darting from one corner to another, like a detective on the job.

"Someone, police or not, pulled the strings to have this place preserved." Kiera finally stopped with those words, her eyes looking out through the shattered windows, most of them had their glass completely smashed off. Indeed, even the few blocks surrounding the building itself was deserted. The public must still grieve over what happened ten years ago, not a soul seem likely to frequent this area. Then I watched as Kiera pressed the small button, the ones used to call on the elevator.

"Kiera, I don't think the elevator still runs. It has been ten years, right Sergio?" Aria certainly didn't wait a second to question something illogical, already asking Kiera before my mind even connected the dots. My caretaker just stood there, eyes closed as if she expected those words. Aria's call to Sergio wasn't answered, however, and when my eyes zipped towards where he should be, we found out both him and Johann was missing.

"Over here..." Sergio finally responded, calling us over to the center of the lobby itself, where a statue stood, gleaming in the light because of the clean, almost new looking metal it had for its material. It certainly looked impressive, eye-catching even. Its design was very unique, none of the parts were bulky at all. Pistons can be found on its legs, its arms and all the joints while the main body looked lithe, as if object used for the metal sculpture was one made for mobility.

"Wow..." Johann muttered out, staring at the sculpture with awe, while Sergio just nodded to his words. An interesting sight was that there seemed to be something like a cockpit in its design, and it was empty. Whether this was intended or not, we'll never know. Because of this thought, I found myself staring at the piece of art as well.

"Sigh... Guys and their robots..." Kiera's voice caught me by surprise, as I turn to see her shaking her head with Aria agreeing beside her. Embarrassment spilled itself onto my face as I realized we got distracted.

That was when my eyes, or rather, my instincts, caught something, and my body sprung into action.

"Look out!" With not a moment too soon, my arms reached for my two friends, clenching them by their collars. Putting in as much strength as I could, my hands pulled back with frantic speed.

"Whoa!" Johann and Sergio screamed as they were suddenly tugged back, their arms thrown to the sides as they stumbled a few steps back before falling down.

"Crash!" From where they stood, a piston appendage broke through the concrete floor, sending dust, sand and bits of stone flying everywhere. Sergio and Johann were left speechless when they saw what just happened, that they would've been the ones crushed if I hadn't pulled them back second ago. As the dust clouds cleared, we found out the metal weapon that came crashing down on us was in fact the very statue we've been admiring!

"Johann, Sergio, it's dangerous! Get back! Move!" I just screamed out the thoughts as they popped into my mind, the adrenaline still pumping from coming face to face with danger. Still stunned, Johann and Sergio nonetheless scrambled to their feet, jumping back a good few meters. Before us, the machine, which seemed so new in contrast to its surroundings, came to life. The cockpit which was empty before, brought up what seemed like a baby with wild, dark green hair, a white lab coat and a pair of glasses. Sitting there with his hands on the controls, he flicked the green pacifier around his neck before turning to face us with a devilish smirk.

Wait a minute, green pacifier? He's an Arcobaleno!

"Impressive as impressive can get, Verdy." Amidst the chaotic situation, another voice found itself cutting in. That was when we saw a stranger standing by the machine, beside its left leg. A flash of light showed me his face, covered with a wild fringe and extremely curly brown hair, it made me wonder just how could he see with such a messy hairstyle. He stood, his back hunched slightly in a very laid back position, a hammer and a chisel in his hands with an out of place lab-coat covering his body. He had the most annoying smile I had ever seen in my life.

"Verde..." Barely catching Aria's words, she stood with extremely conflicting eyes and an uncertain look on her face, staring at yet another Arcobaleno who's presenting himself as an enemy to the Zanna Famiglia.

"Though it bears no rhythm, no tune, no colors, no directions, often times Death's song is naught but silence." The eccentric stranger gave out, clapping his hands in applause at the machine that nearly struck Sergio and Johann down. "Well, since you're all gonna die tonight, I guess I can grant you some courtesy..."

Shocked and surprised, our eyes only widened when Kiera lunged onto him, already armed with her shield. Her piercing glare meant she already had absolute focus, the end of her enemy was the only thing on her mind. But the man did the impossible, responding casually and dodging Kiera's heavy attack almost effortlessly. With the stranger out of the way, Verde, still in his machine, suddenly appeared before her, and threw down both of its piston-powered arms to hammer down on Kiera. Raising her shield in defense, Kiera was pushed back a few meters, stopping in front of us.

"Whoa! Slow down, there's no need to rush... My name's Innocenti, this here's Verdy and... now where did Koenig go again?" Casually, he introduced what seemed like a three-man team, raising his right hand over his eyes as if searching for the third enemy, his comrade.

"Ka-shink! Clank! Ka-shank!"

Unknown to our group already in the building, the clash of metal and steel, weapon to weapon, was happening atop the roofs overlooking the city. Above the buildings that reached to the skies, a doctor fought to protect those wounded. Vito's auburn hair flew in the wind, often getting into his eyes, but he had no time to even care. Throwing a slash in an arc in front of him, he watched as the man skipped to the sides, barely escaping his reach before plunging his own twin daggers right at him.

Vito had no choice but to raise his blades in defense, intercepting the incoming strike and knocking them off trajectory.

"Clank!" He succeeded, to see the daggers flew off his opponent's grip, only to have twin swords slashing down on him, the man he was fighting with already re-armed. He told me it was the first time in years that he felt uncertain, that he felt a tiny tinge of fear. The Angel of Life felt his own threatened, and he had no choice but to jump back.

"Who the hell are you?! How is it possible to fight like that?" Vito spoke to calm himself, but the questions remained unanswered. The man before him, with his long, scruffy black hair touching his shoulders, primed himself with his twin katana, donning a long trench coat that reached to his knees.

With no answer, Vito raised his blades once more as the man who we know as Koenig charged forward with his weapons, throwing a strike with absolutely no intent, no presence. Both sides threw precise attacks and flawless techniques, but Vito's blades did not meet the flesh of his opponent, even after a dozen slashes were thrown. With the cold wind blowing against them, they continued their clash. Vito held his ground so as to protect his comrade resting in a deep sleep behind him.

* * *

**With conflicting emotions, alarming memories and information, Amato and the Zanna Famiglia comes face to face with the group that had been going after Hinata! Just what do they want with her? What is the revelation Amato felt coursed through his mind? Will the Zanna Famiglia come out alive from this predicament? Give me your thoughts for this chapter in your reviews and watch out for the next update to find out!**


	61. Friend

**Author's Note:**

**The Climax is brewing, with a battle unlike anything I've written before. Anyone else found out who these three characters are? Well, let's just say they will have a huge impact on the state of things in the future, and so, naturally, they're hella strong! Let's see how the Zanna Famiglia handles them, shall we?**

* * *

**Chapter 60: Friend.**

Within a slight second, everyone burst off into action, with my eyes barely able to follow what was happening around me. All I knew was to keep up with my feet and not get hit. Sweat started forming by the bullets, with the air inside the dimly lit building slowly but surely heating up. Keeping sights, Kiera jumped right in after the man who introduced himself as Innocenti finished his words, lunging forward in a furious leap, way, way faster than before. As I reached for my Legacy Arm, the green-haired Arcobaleno, Verde, in his suit or mech or whatever, just appeared before her, thrusting the twin piston arms forward.

"Crank!" The loud clash of metal and sparks lit up the room in a second, an exchange of strength and pure power. Sergio and Johann themselves wasted no time, arming themselves with chains and a katana respectively. As their eyes followed the biggest threat in the room, the unbelievable machine, Innocenti pounced closing in on the two of them and swinging his hands around in wide arcs. In the distance, I watched as Sergio and Johann's clothes tore and skin ripped.

"Bang! Thunk!"

Then, Kiera, locked with Verde's machine, forced themselves into my view, their struggle breaking even the ground around them. The concrete by their feet blew themselves, cracks spreading out with each stomp, push and kick. Losing no speed despite such strength, Verde began pounding down on Kiera, who had her shield up and, unbelievably, was driven into a defensive position.

Before my eyes, Kiera strained in pain, gritting down on her teeth. It was difficult to watch, and I felt my body moving, getting into action way quicker than my thoughts. Free hand scratching on the dust-filled ground just to push myself forward, my hand coming to my face showed the jagged edges of Fenris, already in hand. Kicking the ground, Kiera finally got shoved back by the force as I moved, horror gripped me as the shield was lowered as the crushing hammers came down on her.

"Crack!"

My vision blurred for a second, and before it returned, a sharp, shattering pain hit me like a truck. I felt as though I would fly off of my feet, that my body would find itself crashing against the walls. Aching pain, as if ten daggers were being plunged into my flesh, digging into my bones in a wild clash of hot and cold, spread. My touch was shivering, shaking violently as I tried to hold on to whatever was pushing against the palm of my hands. When sight returned, my hands were holding on against the machine, the force of the pound already fracturing the bones from my fingers down to my shoulders. Gritting down on my teeth did nothing to curb the pain.

I wanted to shut my eyes, to block out the pain, but I knew once that happens, my life would end right there.

"Amato!" Kiera's voice came out spilling worry and shock, the strong tone to her voice dying down to a near whisper behind me. The sound of her voice was all I needed to snap back to the reality of the situation.

"Hrg!" The first thing I did, was scream, to get my mind off the pain, to keep my body from falling to pain. It felt as if the power, the strength I was wishing for in my mind became reality, enough for me to move the machine. Perhaps it was just my imagination, but I cared little at that point.

"Fenris!"

I yelled out the very word with as much strength as I could, filling it to the brim with hope. The strands of hair coming into my eyes were blown away by the sudden wave of force, a glaring white light beaming out from the Tear of the Fang for a split second. Senses sharpened, my mind was clear again. The noise of stress was downed out. Though it would've been nice if Verde and his machine was pushed away by the mere force of my Awakening, it didn't happen. Instead, I felt my bones harden, cracks coming together despite the damage that occurred just seconds ago.

"Hhhrrraaaggghhh!" Losing myself to my more feral side to draw strength, adrenaline encouraged me, pushed me forward, as I tossed down on Verde like a wrestler. Putting in as much power as I could from the burst, I pushed with all my might, the whole mech becoming as light as paper for a split second as I did.

"Whoa!" Verde's high-pitched voice screamed out not in panic, but with the tone of disbelief, as he flew a few feet and crashed, dust and debris exploding forth. Sergio, Johann and even the enemy, Innocenti, watched me with eyes of awe, shock and disbelief. Then, Innocenti lunges towards me with a flood of murderous intent and insane speed, as if he had become the devil itself. His hands, his fists reached out for me, and that was when I saw what made those cuts on Sergio and Johann before. Small metal instruments, they looked like picks and chisels, those used by sculptors, stained with dried, crimson blood.

"Amato! He's aiming for'im!" Aria yelled out her warning from the back. In order to protect her, we had her shifted a few feet away, a safe zone, so to say.

"Krik! Crack!"

Multiple voices rang across the battlefield that was withing the lobby of the torn building. I could hear Johann and Sergio's gasps, but otherwise, no audible words. I bet everyone is just too focused on the fight to actually speak anything. As Innocenti got close, Kiera's steps broke the ground before me, as she lunged forward to intercept his assault, dragging her ornate shield at her side. Right in front of me, the two of them burst into an explosion of attacks, defense and counters.

"Clank! Crack! Thunk!"

Kiera threw her shield in a left hook, like a boxer throwing his punch, only to have it blocked by a single pick from Innocenti's left hand. With a single push from his right hand, Innocenti had the giant weapon forced back in a second, before swinging his hips and retaliating with roundhouse kick. Bending her knees, Kiera ducked down, avoiding the attack completely before using the momentum of her shield being thrown back to force her shield down in an overhead arc with insane speed.

_Throb._

"Hah... Hah.. Ha.."

It was so frantic, blows exchanged at a speed outmatching anything I've seen before. I had never seen Kiera moved so lightning quick before, and the fact that she could keep up kept my awe raised. Standing there panting because of the pain throbbing from my arms, my eyes quickly flew all around me, searching for where Verde and his mech disappeared to. The surface of my skin looked untouched, but the muscles felt as though they were pierced and stabbed by a dozen needles. Were they my bones? Bits and pieces broken and pushed out of place? Amidst all that was happening, I had little time to fear.

Suddenly, Verde appeared out of nowhere again, going after Kiera as she had her attention on Innocenti, a sort of pincer attack. Striking us down as we're focused on only one of them. Wasting no time, my feet kicked the ground and I charged at him screaming despite the pain in my arms.

"Yyyeeeaaarrrggghhh!"

"Thunk!"

A harsh slam to my back, when senses returned, I realized I had tackled Verde and his machine, using nothing but the weight of my body, the strength of my awakening. It worked out better than I planned, as his mech was thrown back a few feet, sparks flying as metal grind against the floor of the wrecked lobby. That was when I saw it, the clash between Kiera and Innocenti only growing more intense. Kiera fashioned her shield, throwing it against Innocenti at accelerating speed with monstrous swings, wide arcs with each strike akin to a wrecking ball.

However, the eccentric man only shot back with precise strikes of his own, holding before him his picks to stop Kiera's attacks completely. It had been more than a dozen times Kiera's attempts to strike Innocenti down ended in naught, but Kiera only got faster, stronger. Eyes focused, it would seem if Innocenti slipped up for even second, he and every bone of his body would get smashed down to the concrete floor.

"Crack!"

That was when I heard the sound rang through the air, unlike what I've heard before. It sounded enclosed, as if I was the only one who heard it. Narrowing my thoughts down, I realized it might have been my enhanced hearing which caught such a delicate reverb of the sound. It sounded like metal shattering, edges breaking off as the cracks spread. Just what made that sound? Where did it come from? Curious as I was, I found my eyes instinctively fell onto Kiera's shield.

"You're really making my weapon look bad, kid!" The same high-pitched voice, straining with a hint of annoyance. That brought my attention back to Verde just as he raised the piston-powered arms of his machine, ready to strike me down. My distraction proved costly, I got too close to the enemy, and now there's a good chance I won't be able to dodge what's coming!

"Swoosh! Ka-shink! Krink!" My eyes stared at those anvils that was to fall on me, and the chains snapped themselves right around them, whipping out of the air and wrapping and restraining the mech like snakes constricting their prey. In the back, Sergio came into view, eyes sharpened, focused as he had his arms putting all their strength in holding back the attack.

"Ugh... hah.. Don't count me out yet! Amato!" Sergio yelled at me with a strain to his tone of voice, sweating bullets as he had Verde held back while I scrambled up to my feet while nodding to my best friend in reply. He might have just saved my life. In the distance, I saw the smile on Johann's face disappear, as he gives Kiera support, vanishing and reappearing as he slices his way at Innocenti. Though he managed to tear through some parts of his shirt, the man seemed to have been able to dodge his sword as well, though he's been forced into a more defensive stance because of the speed.

"Did you really think a mere human chains can restrain the _Armada: Reconnaissance Substitute_? ARS, the product of my brilliant mind, holds within its piston arms the strength of a hundred men!" Verde sank into slight insanity at the tone of his voice, at the call of his words. Perhaps he was just annoyed, or maybe he didn't expect such resistance. With a push of a button, the arms came crashing down, smashing and laying waste to the already broken floors. Reflex and instinct helped me jump out of the way just a split second before the hammer came down on where I stood before.

"Yagh! Whoa!" Hands still holding on, Sergio was dragged off the ground by the sheer outburst of strength, flying as the chains cut through the air. Stress was chewing on the back of my mind. I think my head couldn't quite comprehend or process everything happening before my eyes, and my senses went just overloaded.

A flash of green hair in the dim moonlight was all I saw before Sergio came crashing down meters away. There was no voice, no cry of pain. And that made me all the more worried.

"Gah!" All of a sudden, Johann's scream blew into my ears accompanying the horror I saw. Eyes focused, it took but a second for Innocenti to hone in on Johann despite his speed. With the same or even greater speed than before, Innocenti's hand shot out, crushing into Johann's face and pulling him off his feet. His presence had changed. He spilled out the feel of a demon, inhumane and chilling the air completely. I watched as my friend struggled to break free from his grasp.

"Johann!" My scream came just as the thought popped into my mind. It was maddening. I wanted to help. Fury begged me to dig my broken fist into that maniac of an artist's face, but my mind held me back. I still had Verde to take care of, and I don't even know if I can do that. Not to mention, Sergio needed help as well, and with Vito not with us right now, it became that much more desperate.

"Crank! Crack! Crash!"

Oh no. The sound of metal crashing, the anvil coming down, caught everyone's attention, distracting even Innocenti for a split second. Yet, for me, it did way more. It tugged on my heart, as if the sound had its grip tightening around it before disappearing. I'd recognized that sound anywhere, the very same bells, the very same tones ringing. It could only mean one thing. A sharp glance to the side showed Kiera's shield tossed to the side, and everyone's eyes turned to Kiera, even the Arcobaleno inside the machine before me.

Kiera, with her pink shirt fluttering and blond hair flying, burst before Innocenti, her speed no longer hindered by the weight of her shield. Lightning quick, it felt as though the space around her distorted. Her steps left ruins as the floor cracked. In seconds, she was right in front of Innocenti, much to the artist's surprise.

I hadn't seen Kiera fight without her shield for a long time now, I still remember the first time she did it, when I requested it in training.

"_Come on, Kiera, you can't expect me to spar with you seriously when I have to see you drag that huge hunk of metal around all the time!" Back then, I would occasionally throw out these comments while training. The fact that I couldn't actually land a hit on Kiera meant that I probably said it to comfort myself, rather than actually putting meaning into the words. Back then, Kiera was still deadly serious, all the time. Without a word or even a response, she lifted her shield with just her left hand, as if it weighed nothing, raising it to her shoulder level._

_I wondered what she was gonna do, and that was when she released her grip on her weapon._

"_Crank! Crash!" Just a drop from barely a meter of height was enough to send explosions of dust and sand blowing up all around us, as the piece of metal dug into the soil and earth. That sight alone made me think, not to mention, it freaked me out the first time I saw it._

"_Just how heavy is that thing?" Jumping back a few steps, I found my arms instinctively moved to block my front as the shield fell, and even after it laid on the ground motionless, it felt uneasy to put my arms down._

"_Know this, my Lord. My shield might have been the limiter holding me back..." Rubbing on her wrists as she checked her joints, she gave out those words with a cold and heartless tone, her eyes falling on the weapon she had equipped minutes ago. _

"_Huh?" Instantly, I felt a tinge of regret to my words from before. I should've just kept my mouth shut._

"_Come." My mentor and friend declared as she took a stance unlike anything I've ever seen, arms stretching out to different sides with her fingers closed but not fully forming into fists. The stance spilled out intent the very second I laid eyes on it, though not exactly murderous, just overwhelming. A second later, Kiera was already in front of me, her face just inches away from mine. Her sharp eyes showed me her steel focus._

_That was when my heart knew I lost._

_Kiera wiped the floor with me. Unorthodox techniques, the fluent flow of her strikes, the unbelievable speed, she struck me down to the ground every instance I tried to stand. While she was a powerhouse with her shield in hand, she traded her intense strength for speed as soon as the weight left her body. Though her strikes were weaker, her speed became untraceable, the stance and techniques transformed her body into a weapon itself, and more than made up for the trade._

_Every time I hear the sound, I would get reminded of the pain I felt that day. I guess it had become some sort of a mental image engraved to the back of my mind, hidden behind my memories. I feel a shiver down my spine every time._

Snapping back, the first thing I saw was a flurry of attacks being carried out. Kiera grabbed down on Innocenti's wrist, the one that had Johann held, and did three sharp jabs with her right fist, aiming at the area right below his palm, the middle of his elbow and the main joint that held his hand together. No sound, it was too fast for that. Johann was released, but before dropping down to the floor, Kiera pushed him away, sending him reeling a few meters away.

There was only silence from Kiera, as she threw both hands in front of her, her snaking fists coming together on Innocenti's neck and splitting apart before he could even react to her assault. But, he had skills, he was no amateur. Confusion spilled onto his face, but even then his body moved to dodge and counter. I watched, stunned by the sheer impossibility of the sight, as Innocenti dodged what would've broken his neck. The next strike only came with greater speed, a flurry of explosive strength as Kiera's left elbow flew towards Innocenti's face.

"Crack!"

"Ugh!" Hearing him cry out in pain, even if it was brief, brought me both relief and concern. It felt ugly taking joy in the pain of my enemies. But the attack did not end there, her right fist primed, Kiera shot it like a spear and impaled into Innocenti's chest, right where the heart should be.

"Gragh!"

I saw his body lifted off the ground in a slight jump from the force of the strike, we all did. The blow must have broke some of the bones of his body, that much I knew. But just when I thought it was over, Innocenti hit back without flinching for half a second. His hands, still holding on to Kiera, pulled her down as he countered with a knee through her stomach.

"Ugh." Kiera's cry shook the whole of my body, as she did her best to stay focused and ignore the pain. My hands trembled as strength pushed through my arms, feeling returned to what I thought was broken. Anger bubbled up instantly as I saw Innocenti threw her to the sides.

"Eyes up here!" As I scrambled to see how Kiera was, a blunt force struck my stomach, like a sledgehammer twenty times the usual size ramming against my bones. Verde threw his machine against me in the few seconds I was distracted. The next thing I knew, wind blew against me as I was sent flying through the air. In the distance, I saw the sadness of Aria's eyes, as she was forced to observe in silence. It was if she already expected this.

"Crash!"

_Ba-dump. Ba-dump. Ba-dump._

The sound of my heartbeat. It rang through my head throughout the fight, but right now, it's the only thing I hear. Darkness all around me, what happened? A sharp but gigantic force crushed against my back, I must have hit the wall, crashed against it. My arms hurt, the stinging and throbbing came back. My whole body feels wet, and I can't tell if I'm covered by sweat or blood. I only knew it hurt a lot. I must have had my eyes closed. Words slowly became audible again.

"... Ugh, cough, cough!" Strained voice, the tone with a hint of disbelief. "What was that? Acupuncture? Martial Arts?" Slowly, I recognized that annoying tone. Innocenti sounded more curious than wary. It felt completely out of place. No conflict, no attacks, the sound of fighting was strangely absent. "I see... Fists of the Eight Extremes, huh?" Unbelievable, he figured out Kiera's fighting style just like that?

Then, a rumble shook the whole building, shaking me awake. It felt like a mini-earthquake, but I couldn't shake off the feeling that it was happening at the top floors of this building, and that the friend we call Hinata had something to do with it. My vision returned, and from the blurry sight the first thing I saw was Kiera and Sergio, back to back with each other, each of them wrecked with dirt and grime, their bodies covered with cuts and wounds. The lobby was filled with craters, most of what survived the fire before had been wrecked, utterly destroyed. In the distance, Sergio and Kiera whispered something to each other, before their focus returned with a nod, and they started moving again.

"Energy readings are off the charts! This puts all theories before out the bag! But something's happening, we need to retrieve that item immediately!" Verde's clinical words were ones of surprise, excitement and joy. The distraction was timely, and even with no real plan in my mind, I got up to my two feet, clutching down on my left elbow.

"Hah.. hah.. hah... hah.." Heavy breathing, my panting breaths kept pumping out as I pushed the shock away from my body, and tried to assess the situation. With the returning feelings, pain came by the waves, so I had to calm my body enough for me to keep fighting. Despair was slowly encroaching in my mind. These guys seemed insane, impossible to win against, even with my friends here with me, with my Famiglia. Each time I pushed those poisonous thoughts away, they only came back more stronger than before.

"What about the girl?" In the corner, Verde and Innocenti seemed to have gone into a discussion, with Innocenti asking the question with what sounded like genuine concern, and a seriousness unlike before. We must have looked so pathetic they thought we were dead.

"get rid of her." Verde replied, as if those words were spoken on a whim.

"Hah.. hah.. No!" In between hustled breaths, I made it sure to yell. In the distance, my eyes saw the two turned towards me, their slight disbelief quickly replaced with a dangerous look in their eyes. "Hah... hah.. Don't touch her! Hah... I.. won't... let you!" My own action surprised even myself. I knew there was no point in saying it out, these guys kill with no hesitation at all. But my body needed to hear it, my mind needed my voice to affirm my thoughts, among the many others surging in a chaotic current. I must look really pathetic.

Suddenly, every part of my body screamed for me to move, and a burst of adrenaline forced my body to jump. That was when Verde and his ARS came into view before me, smashing down on the floor just inches away from my feet. The attack cracked the concrete, and I couldn't dodge the force of impact completely. By dumb luck, I managed to land on my feet, though the act brought me down to one knee. From the crater, cracks started snaking out, spreading at an hastening speed.

"Hah.. Why are you doing this?" Stability came back, much to my surprise, my body was recovering quicker than I imagined. With that question, I found my fingers tightening around Fenris once more, the dim light from the Tear hanging around my neck growing stronger. The questions I just kept asking, I needed them to clear my doubts, to strengthen my resolve. "That item's my Famiglia's Legacy! Hinata's my friend! Why are you guys killing for it?"

This time, I saw it all too clearly, bending my knees before leaping back. On top of me, Verde and his machine fell like a comet, both arms primed to crush my skull. I could even hear the slight nuances of the machinery contracting and expanding as he got close.

"Crash!"

"Fool, every age has it's own driving force responsible for progress. In this time, it's us! Our experiment will change the world!" As he continued wrecking the place, dust blowing up into the air, cracks spreading out more and more, the Arcobaleno spoke with only confidence and pride in his work. The thought of a person like him hurting my friends, hurting Hinata, sent my mind spiraling in anger. It became difficult to hold back my feral side, I was already growling.

My words did nothing to slow Verde's efforts. His desire to kill, the sharp mentality he has, was impressive, for a scientist. Within a second, his Ars came charging towards me again.

"Amato! Get behind me!" The familiar shield reappeared before me, Kiera calling out to me, jumping in front of me with her shield ready to defend. I assumed Sergio and Johann must be back on their feet as well, already back in the fight with Innocenti. My hand reached out for her shoulder, and with serious eyes, I shook my head and pulled her behind me, deeming her action unnecessary. Though I saw her disagree with her eyes, she complied nonetheless, albeit reluctantly.

I didn't want to see her hurt. As Verde stopped right in front of me, arms raised to crush me down into earth again, I gave him my question with piercing gaze.

"What are you going to do with my friend, Arcobaleno?" Spewing out the words, I stripped them of respect. I didn't even want to call Verde by his name anymore. Now, I just needed to hear the right words. He said to get rid of her, but what exactly did he mean? I needed to hear it from his mouth alone.

"We're going to kill her. Leave no evidence behind!" Overtaken by some maniacal sense of justification, Verde slammed down the arms as he gave the words with a smirk.

"Crack!"

The loudest crack ever came ringing through the lobby, followed by pain gouging through the muscles from my shoulders down to my spine. I impressed myself by still standing after the strike, the arms now blocked by my shoulders, with my arms raised in a cross above me.

"...Wrong answer." With a growl to my words, my shoulders let go of the arms, pain striking and piercing through my body. The huge metallic appendages fell to the ground, breaking and crashing through more of the concrete floor. My shirt ripped almost immediately following the drop of the machine, the blue sleeves completely torn off of my sides. Fire burned all over my body, pain spiking forth, the throbbing getting worse. Despite all that, I had my arms firmly gripped on the metal, finger clamping down on the cold metal parts.

"Uuurrraaaggghhh!" Verde's words rang through my mind as I gathered my strength, forcing it on the metal appendages before Verde could even give a reaction. Hinata's face flashed across my mind, her smile as well as her tears. The memories re-surfaced, dodging and darting from one key point to another like a broken video player, almost driving me mad. And that only made the boiling peak of my anger ever so larger. Light exploded from the Tear hanging around my neck, the words flickering as if it couldn't handle the connection, the amount of power I wanted to draw from Fenris.

As Kiera jumped back, the machine held by my hands finally budged. Power surging, the pain from my body, my arms, were ignored, disappearing as I tore that piece of contraption of the ground. Verde tried his best to regain control, but with each pull of a lever, each press of a button, each flick of a switch, only sparks exploded from his beloved machine. Pulling every ounce of strength from my muscles, I tossed the mech to the sides, sending it crashing to a wall.

That, however, had unforeseen consequences. The concrete from the wall was chipped away, debris fell from the cracks that spread as Verde and his machine smashed into the wall. Metal hidden behind the concrete was crushed, and the small tremor shot out from the floor, breaking the craters even further. The whole place started shaking, rumble seemed to echo from every part of the building. To tell the truth, it really didn't look that stable before, and our showdown had only made it worse.

"Screech!"

That was when half the lobby gave way, collapsing as metal and stone grind against each other. Frantic, my eyes caught sight of Sergio and Johann clashing with Innocenti before they realized what was happening. Stone and concrete sprouted from the floor, breaking at the sides before sinking down. Pipes were bent out of place, the cry of metal scraping against metal hurting through my enhanced hearing. Obscene amount of smoke blew into the air at every corner, shrouding my vision of what was happening.

I took my steps forward, hoping to catch sight of Sergio and Johann, but a small hand from behind me held me back, the warm touch stung on my flesh but calmed me down. That was when the whole thing stopped. Slowly, the smoke cleared to show us that the floor had given way into the basements of the of the company building, two floors down. The hand pulled me back, and Kiera's worried face came into sight. One more step and I would have fell down into the massive crater before me.

"No... Sergio... Johann... Gah, No!" Still stunned with shock, my body had to calm itself down as I stared into the depths, though that seemed to make it worse. Confused, every attempt at coming up with what to do next produced a blank slate in my mind. Convulsions sunk its way into my body, and I started to feel extremely sick. The floor just gave way and took my friends with it. Thoughts quickly exploded with a million answers to the questions in my mind.

Kiera took steps towards the huge hole with her shield now back in her hands and just stood there, staring down the crater longer than I did, in silence. Her face was one of passiveness, frozen in slight confusion and disbelief.

In the end, my eyes just looked to Kiera for answers, as she turned back to me with her shield in hand. That was when I felt the slight change in the wind, and my body urged itself to scatter, causing Kiera and I to jump to the sides.

"Smash!"

From the smoke, Verde and his creation appeared, never making a sound until he launched his attack. Adrenaline filled my veins again, and my body felt lighter, everything felt easier. Again, memories and information filled my mind, prompting me to ready my Legacy Arm, despite my hands still shaking slightly. At my side, Kiera raised her shield and took her stance. Even without saying anything, we both agreed with just a glance and a nod.

If I was feeling anger, Verde would be the one to pay. If it was fear, I needed a distraction. Whatever the case, we needed to take Verde out. He's too big a threat to ignore!

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**Man that took forever to write. I really hope it's an interesting read! As the fight continues, the Zanna Famiglia found themselves split up once again! Did Sergio and Johann survive after what happened? And what of Vito and Dante? All these questions pressed down on Amato as the fight continues! Just how will it all end? Give me your thoughts about this chapter in your reviews, and I promise to update the next chapter as soon as I can!**


	62. A Doctor's Code

**Author's Note:**

**Gah! It certainly has been a while. I think work is sucking up more of my time than I wanted it to. Nevertheless, I don't plan on abandoning this story, not by a long-shot! With the battles occurring side by side at different places, I'm carefully planning it so as to not turn off my readers at any point while still making it coherently understandable and not too confusing, wish me luck!**

* * *

**Chapter 61: A Doctor's Code.**

**Fallen.**

"Clank! Krank!"

Sparks followed with the clash of blades, I watched as cracks formed on the two blades resting in my hand. My skin tore as desperation slowly etched over the whole of my being, forcing me to grip harder under some illusion that it would help. This monster named Koenig stares at me with the same chilling glare he had an hour ago, with not but a sweat dripping down his chin. My wounds stung, throbbing with every second passing, so much that my stance lingers on, shaken, unsteady. It's an embarrassment for me to look this way as a doctor.

"Fwooo..."

The howling wind hasn't died down since we first got up here. Looking around, my eyes quickly sharpening to one side to another, I could see the pale, gray night. The moon surrounded by an ocean of clouds. The air feels as heavy as ever, death being so apparent it almost choking down on my throat. One can feel that something big is gonna happen tonight.

"Shink!"

The blade closed in on me with but a second, ripping the sleeves of my windbreaker even as I tried my best to dodge. My skin tear as the cold blade sent a wave of chill through my touch and a spike of searing pain lingering on the wound. As I find myself pushed back, Koenig's eyes, silent, focused, invisible, pierced into mine even as he attacked me. With no moment to rest, my two arms flail in an attempt to counter, slashing through the air and onto his arm.

"Zink!"

It would've been a clean hit, the blades should've punctured his flesh, and the katana thrown to the ground from the convulsions of his arms, but that was only my wishful thinking. Mind-numbingly, the silver edge of his sword blinded me as it snaked its way up in an unbelievable fashion, completely blocking out my counterattack with insane speed, unlike anything I had ever seen. The speed he moved would've dislocated a man's shoulders in an instant, but there he stood, flicking his sword arm with uncanny agility and precision still, unfazed and untouched.

What. The. Hell.

"Guh! Kuh! Cough!" A pasty, iron taste overwhelmed my tongue, a cough or led to a blotch of dark red blood falling on the concrete floor beside my feet. Darn it, I can't keep this up much longer, I can't tank anymore of his attacks! So far, it's been impossible to detect his movements, to gauge his attacks, to even see them coming. They're either too fast, too strong or just plain impossible! Worse yet, every time I disarm him of his weapon, a bigger, more dangerous one appears in his hands, as if out of thin air!

"Hragh!"

It's been ages since I last yelled in a fight, but now, the desperation all but demanded it. Eyes pinned not on the enemy, but the glistening silver blade, my daggers sings as the air is razed, sliced apart with clean surgical while flying towards him. Tensing my muscles, Koenig and I traded blows at lightning fast speed, every one of our attacks sliding down towards our vital points. A slash to his left only managed to tear onto the sleeves of his coat, while most others sent sparks flying into the air, sizzling and burning my cold, dead skin as they landed.

"Ka-shink! Clank! Krack!"

Though the man in a long, black trench coat before me moves as if he has little strength behind his strikes, they hit with unimaginable power. With a sudden flick of his blade, I could barely even watch as the sword, a katana blade ornate ans exquisite as they come, slices against me, ripping through the chest area of my windbreaker, completely tearing it apart as well as slicing through my skin. This time, the pain shot up through every part of my body as if cold, iron poles were injected through my bloodstreams. My muscles tore as if screaming out in pain.

"Gah!" Blood spilled up my mouth again as I screamed to the dark skies above, nearly losing myself to the barrage of pain. That was when I realized my steps were shaken, the whole of my body getting pushed back as my legs hit the concrete floor hard to maintain my balance. Koenig shot the tip of the blade at me the instant I got stunned, and the only thing I could do was bring up my twin daggers in defense.

"Ka-shink!"

My feet sliding back and inch, something soft could be felt even through my thick, army combat boots. Dante slipped into view, grunting and writhing in slight pain. I could see him gritting down on his teeth by reflex, his hands closing into fists, his fingers digging into his skin. It is a horrible sight for any doctor. And I'm certainly not gonna make his condition any worse!

"Swoosh."

My attention on Dante for a second, my sense screamed as the silver blade went for my throat, no doubt a decisive strike. For some strange reason, a new strength entered my veins, leaving my hands shaking with excitement. Before the blade touched my skin, my steps took me forward with my eyes piercing down on Koenig, the glare a natural reaction. Before I knew it, my hands were already moving on their own.

"Ka-chik."

The next moment, my fingers were wrapped around the katana blade, the sharpened edge breaking skin and flesh. I can feel the cold of the blade spreading through the whole of my hand, the pain heating up everything else, and the metal scraping against my bone, but I didn't care. My fingers barely holding on, the sight of my hand forcing down his blade brought a look of surprise to Koenig's silent face, one that had remained neutral for hours now.

Adrenaline pumping, I throw my arm as soon as the surge of strength came, tearing the blade off Koenig's grip.

"Clank! Krink, Shink!" The blade slid to the edge of the rooftops, its blade stained from top to bottom with my own blood.

_Throb. Ba-dump._

My wounds and my heart cried out at the same time, leaving me with panting breaths. My left hand is dropped to the side, twitching with a huge cut running down palm. It seems the hand's useless now. Still, the frustration hasn't died down, and with little effort, my focus returned.

"Hah.. Hah... Hah..." Still glaring at my enemy, I couldn't tell if I'm tired or just plain furious. Driven by all that's happened, the words, how I really felt, just popped into my mind.

"I don't care who the hell you are, who you work for, or how insane your capabilities are... Nobody comes between me and my patients, especially when they're already hurt!" When my roar, my declaration ended, I charge with one hand raised, dagger firm in my hand. Now I know how the Boss felt, how he can lose himself to his instincts and recklessness, with no regards to his own well-being.

I always thought he was just stupid. I guess I was wrong.

"I won't let them feel any more pain than necessary!" The words just burst out, and yet, they felt more natural than anything I've said before. As they end, my dagger sliced through the air, coming down on the enemy before me, and for once, determination fueling my strength.

My, aren't I a hypocrite. My mind recalled the dozen times I ignored my job as a Doctor, taking the responsibility so lightly anyone else in the field would have been disgusted by my actions. There was that one time when the life of my Boss hung on a thread, and I was still able to joke about it. Eyes pinned on Koenig even as I stopped right in front of him, these thoughts spilled forth, hounding my mind. My mind heavy, distracted, it took seconds before the sight of the sledgehammer, now tucked between Koenig's fingers, caught my attention, already swinging in a huge arc towards my face.

I tried to dodge, but alas, I was too close, and too little too late.

It was a mistake, a poor show of skills. No rationale in my actions, I left my body to my primal desires, letting anger and fury rule my thoughts. Dammit! Am I going to die here? I never thought my life so fragile. The few seconds it took for the impact to come felt like an eternity, and all I could do was watch and wait, pain and weight locking down on my muscles, the whole of my body. I felt pathetic, the only thought in my mind was to close my eyes and give myself up to the coming end, even as I refused it with every fiber of my being.

"Vito!"

A screeching yell with a pained voice and a sudden tug on my ruined cloak, pulling me off my feet, sending me flying a few feet back. Navy blue hair dangling, covering the side of his face, my eyes blew right open to see Dante standing above me, pulling out a pistol and aiming it at Koenig, his face pale and drained, but his eyes determined. His other hand on my shoulder while his right knee supporting me at my back, I could feel his body shiver and convulsing violently before he pulled the trigger at the next instant.

"Bang!" A single shot flared up the night, the wave of sound shocking me back to reality. Darting towards Koenig, I see him calm, but with a troubled look on his face. A charred hole sizzled from the heavy end of his sledgehammer. Raising a hammer to block a gunshot, how is that even possible? The very sight drove my mind into a new level of caution and stress.

"Bang! Bang! Bang!" A volley of shots came right after the first one, as Dante only glared with piercing eyes when I turned to him, completely adamant about getting a shot at the enemy before us. The steel gaze he still had, despite his injuries, despite the sheer impossibility of the enemy we're fighting against, left quite the impression on me. It helped me think, to focus, and gave me a reprieve from the worries, the fear, the panic in my mind.

"Hah... What are you doing, Angel... You can't die yet... Hah... We still haven't had that duel.." With pained breaths between each word, I sat there on the ground listening to my fellow member of the Zanna Famiglia, his balance wobbling even as he spoke, as if the words must be said. As wounded as he was, Dante was trying to help me, to give me support. He must be referring to that random promise I threw out when we first met... Can't believe he still remembers that...Hah, some doctor I am. My mind found itself berating itself with a smile on my face as strength returned to my arms, my legs.

I can't find the words to say though, for the shame was still there, so all I could do was smile. Finally, the time to break the silence between my dried lips came.

"Of course, right." It was an awkward response, useless and necessary, but it was all I could muster. Thoughts gathering, my eyes fell towards the enemy once more as I raised a single dagger with my right hand, while Dante did the same with his rifle, fashioning it as his staff.

"Koenig, the King of Weapons. The man said to have unraveled the secrets of modern-day weapons. Master of all arms as well as the rumored apprentice of the Eternal Smith, Talbot of the Vongola." The information leaks out of Dante's mouth, most of the words sent me reeling. Though they were beyond belief, they do provided some sense to the skills this man before us had displayed. What was more intriguing is how Dante got his hands on such information, when I knew nothing of it. He's good, much better than I thought. Six months past already and he still has something up his sleeve to surprise me.

"Why have you come here? Why do you interfere with the Zanna Famiglia?" Dante roared out, pulling strength from deep within him despite the fact that he would be better off resting. For the first time ever, I sense frustration, upset and anger in his words, in his tone of voice.

The next instant, signals exchanged, we jumped upon Koenig, my dagger slashing down at his abdomen while Dante throws his rifle to smash Koenig's skull.

"Clack."

His hammer swung up to his back with a soft thud, the gargantuan weapon is used to block Dante's attack, seemingly robbing all strength from the strike. From his pockets came a gauntlet wrapped around his left hand, the sound screeching as my dagger scrapped against his gauntlet, metal against metal. The King of Weapons stood there right in front of us, barely breaking a sweat or breaking out of his stance. The sight itself instilled a sense of awe as well as despair at the same time.

"Nonsense." With his wild shaggy hair nearly covering his eyes, Koenig spoke with a calm, almost tranquil voice absolutely out of sync with the current situation, all while holding against our attacks and standing his ground. Suddenly, it felt as if my throat was going to get ripped out. The murderous intent finally appeared, gushing out like a tsunami looking to drown out all of my senses. It took but a second before my eyes widen and I kicked the ground, leaping back a few meters, Dante following me at my side.

"Ngh..." When my focus returned, my body ached, shaking and tensed over the feeling before. The very fact that such uncertainty filled my being baffled me to no end. Before it felt so difficult to fight him without any sense at all, as if one was fighting against a machine, but now, I may have just bitten off more than I could chew. From his stance spilled out the presence of a monster, inhuman and unlike anything I had ever seen.

"Chi-chik."

The all so familiar sound, the loading of bullets, the clicking of metal, rang into our ears. At the blink of an eye, his hammer dropped to the ground, his gauntlet nowhere in sight. Koenig stood primed as he was already aiming two guns right at us, a Desert Eagle in his left and Magnum in his right.

"... I am but a Merchant." As eerily calm as ever, Koenig continues his words in monotone, placing little care as he prepped his weapons to fire.

"Bang!"

"Whoa!" The ear-splitting shot burst out into the sky above, sending droves of birds scattering from all directions into a frenzy. Surprised, my arm moved on reflex, barely able to intercept the powerful shot of his magnum with my dagger, the act itself one of pure, dumb luck. Beside me, Dante swung his rifle in great precision, deflecting the bullet aimed at his heart.

"Hah... Hah..." After impact, I could hear his breathing get harder, his strained voice worsening by the second. Clinging on to his weapon and using it for support, something told me Dante was already pushing past his limits, his body deteriorating with every flex of his muscles. The sight only got me me more angry with myself. Darn it, he should really be resting, not joining this fight! His first wound was bad enough, his body riddled with precise punctures which went deep, some even striking into his organs!

"As to the answer to your first question..." Suddenly, the intent vanished, the rooftop returning to its dull, gray color, leaving the three of us standing in silence, our weapons raised with the howling winter wind clawing against our skin. As much as I hated to admit it, going against him has been ineffective. As useless as this conversation is right now, I could use the time to focus, to at least come up with some sort of a plan. "How can one recommend my wares to others if I claim to know nothing about my weapons?" That one line was puffed up with pride, as a small smile stretched across his face, his twin guns still pointed at us.

_Ba-dump._

Damn it all! Hands still gripping down on my dagger, my vision wavered as the utter hopelessness of the situation devoured the whole of my mind, with Dante's condition only pressuring me even more. I have no idea if the throbbing of my heart, my body came from pain or fear. The feeling to my left arm was all but gone, dangling on like a piece of dead meat.

"_Vito!"_

Huh? Amato's voice? Why am I remembering that right now?

"... Dammit!" That's right. Why was I am up here, atop the roofs looking down to the streets, wind howling in the dead of night anyways? It was to be on lookout, to make sure nothing gets too close to the Zanna Famiglia as they retrieve the objective. Yet, if someone as insanely strong as this man before me is here, doesn't that mean they're getting attacked below as well?

"Gah!" A pained, horrible cry. To my side, Dante fell to one knee, desperately clutching on to his sniper rifle like a crutch, bullets of sweat flowing down his pale, almost bloodless face. Yet, even as his eyes falter, their gaze never fell on anyone but the enemy. His mind was still determined to take down Koenig, despite all he's going through. Compared to him, my worries seemed almost laughable. Without a second thought, I found myself forcing my steps towards him, wrenching him up by his shoulders.

"Ugh... Vito?" From my silence came Dante's voice, and a slightly confused look on his face. That made me cringe a little in annoyance. Is it really so strange to see me being nice and helpful?

"... If he's here, Amato and the others must be in trouble as well. We'll need to finish this quick." I spoke those witty words with my usual dry, cynical tone. The only reason I was able to say that was because the fact was starting to sink in. We're painfully outmatched, and so the outcome would be obvious, yet, there is always a chance. No prediction is absolute. We would win, or die trying. "We're the best the Zanna Famiglia has to offer, so let's prove that statement true!" Soon, every nonsense flying through my mind blurt out in no time at all.

"Sigh... Still as confident as ever, even in this situation..." Dante replied, even as we both primed ourselves for the next assault, my dagger raised while his rifle cut through the air, the wind howling with each swing. At that instant, Koenig only raised his brow, intrigued.

Before he could even muster a reaction, we struck.

_Ba-dump._

"_Hragh! Augh!" The sound would play through the back of my mind, ringing like a broken player. I would see Amato throwing himself in danger, recklessly disregarding his own safety. Not just him, against opponents completely alien to them, they would fall one by one. Even Kiera._

Dammit, faster, faster! The few seconds we took to engage Koenig felt like an hour, with the ache to my steps every time I kicked the concrete floor of the rooftop. For some reason incomprehensible, my mind would jest about Amato and the others getting struck down, their life slowly etching away with every second. The stress only grew as every moment passed. Distracted, in the next moment, Koenig, with his gun aimed at my forehead, flashed before me, now standing only inches away.

"Crack!"

Before my dagger slashed against the enemy, I was frozen in my steps, my whole body coming to a sudden halt. That was when Dante struck Koenig with his willful strikes, though slower, the range he got from his weapon evened the odds. Before I could seize the chance and strike, Koenig countered, flexing and repelling back Dante's rifle, bringing his guns closer at Dante.

"Bang!"

Twin blasts resonated through the silent night as it barely scraped past Dante's face, a cut splitting through his skin as he stumbled back a step. Stunned by the attack, Dante couldn't see the next attack aiming for him, as Koenig loaded his twin guns, taking advantage of the range to ensure his shots.

_Ba-dump._

_A Doctor's Code, the Oath we must all take, prevents us from using medical knowledge to take one's life. But, have I really been following that code? A slit through the throat, the soft mowing of flesh and skin through the use of my daggers ends the life. A precise impact at the specific area of the joint can rob a man of all feeling of his body forever. The knowledge of every vital part, how easily I could just slip my weapon through to utterly destroy the person lingers in my mind, flashing themselves and tempting me in every fight._

"No!" Fear, worry overcame the whole of my being, prompting my arms, my legs to move, their speed way faster than before. Mere seconds before Dante's head was blown apart, my dagger flew at Koenig's arms, the blade instinctively going for his Radial and Ulnar Arteries, those which severed would lead to death by blood-loss.

"Bang!" Again, the piercing sound nearly blew through my eardrums. I missed, but my lethal act forced his hand to shift. At the slight moment when Koenig's muscles relaxed, my arms crushed down on them with all my strength, resulting in the shot blasting on the concrete floor instead. Before my mind could relax, to think of my next course of action, a piercing pain crushed my elbow, and the whole world before my eyes twist and turn. The next thing I knew, I was flying to the side, thrown like a piece of dead meat. Although, if this keeps up, it won't be long before that becomes a fact.

"Gragh!" My mind abandoned me for a second there, a complete whiteness blanking my vision. When I recovered, my dagger had flew out of my fingers, as the wide, black sky, filled with ominous looking clouds surrounded my vision. The the edge of my sight, Dante, with all his injuries, his grunts, and his struggling, continued trading blows with Koenig, his martial arts letting him hold his ground for now, the rifle swinging all around them as he willed it to strike down on Koenig.

Darn it! Get up! There's no time to be lying around! Those were the thoughts that kept filling up my mind, distracting me from my concentration and only ended up getting my whole body tensed and sluggish, instead of swift and nimble like I wanted it to be. I... I need to finish this before that starts happening!

_Ba-dump._

_Screaming. Their crimson blood, shadowed by the clouds above, lit by the pale, ghastly moon. All those sensations would flicker into my mind, always appearing when I'm injured or in pain. Instantly, the knowledge returns, of how fragile life is. The skin tears if one knows the right way of scraping it. Whole body could be drained of blood within seconds. All the secrets to a person's body can be found through anatomy. The experience only made it that much easier to remember._

Dammit. Slowly pulling myself up, the confusion went away when the memories became clear. My body throbbed as if in protest to my actions. I can't say I'm thoroughly fit to even be standing up right now. A few steps before me, Dante stood his ground, his dark blue hair in a mess. Still his eyes remained focused. It was as if I could see the blaze of fire formed from his will from deep within his dark pupils.

Why am I trying so hard? Why do I refused to give up? Lying there on the cold, hard ground felt like the easiest thing to do ever back then. There and then, I could've easily just closed my eyes, and fade away...

"Vito! Get up!" The strained voice was piling emotions on top of emotions. The shock of Dante's tone blew my eyelids wide open. With his rifle locked in place, he had lost the ability to attack, as Koenig kept it that way with only one hand, already overpowering the the strength of Zanna Famiglia's top assassin. Koenig's eyes were different now, slightly intrigued, excited, like a predator enjoying the thrill of his hunt.

_Ba-dump._

_The throbbing of my body, my wounds is now in sync with my heartbeat, even as the memories play like a movie in my head. Lying beneath my feet, the family dog bubbled at his mouth, twitching and convulsing with pain, before coming to a sharp halt. My sister awoke with a hole in her abdomen, the blood slowly gushing out. Even then she was just confused, and looked to me for answers. My parents never awoke after I touched them. I don't even remember what happened._

Despite my harsh trembling, my feet pressed against the ground once more, even as my body slumped to a side, blood still dripping out of my open wounds. Through clouded eyes, the thoughts on my mind only made it easier to focus. Back then, I knew only one thing. With the feeling slowly overcoming the whole of my being, intent pouring out without my control, it wasn't long before I gave in.

I need to kill that man.

"Hah hi ha ha..." A high, ghastly voice within that laugh, even when compared to my usual tone. Have I gone mad? It spread through the night and into the sky above, cutting through the cold winter wind.

_That's right... I have already Fallen..._

When the thoughts cleared, my mind emptied. Clarity could be felt as I opened my eyes. The weight on my shoulders vanished as my body, my arms took on a completely different stance from before. My legs spread themselves to the sides as my right arm was raised with an acute yet gentle flow of movement, my fingers closing to form a palm. Instantly, I saw the light in Koenig's eyes change. That gave Dante the chance to counter, breaking free from his hold.

"Crack" The next instant, when my mind focused once more, showed Koenig inches away from me, my fist slammed at his right shoulder, shooting at him like a spear. Through my fingers, his bone resonated when struck, I could feel it cracking from touch alone. It it wasn't broken, it would have at least been fractured. Strange, in my eyes, he suddenly seemed so slow, and energy began pouring through my veins. My whole body felt light again. Still, the memories remained, constantly feeding my mind.

As Koenig's eyes widened from their slow, lazy slump, I pulled my right arm back as my fingers returned to their gentle form. There it was, the vibrations that could be felt running through my fingers. As heat resonated from my touch, the weapon held back was released, and my fingers pierced through cloth and skin, striking at his heart.

"Ugh. Ah." Even his cry was a lackluster one, as the strength to yell quickly drained itself from Koenig's throat. Then, silence filled the setting again, as Dante and I instinctively stopped. By reflex, Koenig's hands rushed for his chest, clawing and clutching down on his own flesh in desperation. In seconds, his face flared up red with blood. "Guh... The Touch of Death? What the hell?" Instantly, his composure is broken, as he roared out in blind fury. I don't know if he was angry at us or himself, as anger, fury, disbelief even fear spilled from his tone of voice.

It was little more than a cry from a helpless man, as if hope had all but been robbed from his very soul. But I felt no remorse, no pity, even as I stood there watching.

Before long, his systems silenced his voice, and the light in his eyes disappeared. Stumbling back, weakness forced his knee to drop, before the whole body fell like it was nothing more than dead meat. He couldn't move anymore, and why would he?

His heart has stopped.

Turning away, my legs began taking me towards the stairs down the building. I had enough of the dull, silent night-sky. He who was the King of Weapons laid dead, still and silent beneath my feet as I shuffled and limped my way forward, struggling past Dante, who stood there staring, in confusion and slight disbelief.

"Vito.." Worry masked over his voice, Dante called out to be as I got to the door. I could only imagine what he would say, how he was looking back then. But mostly, I didn't care. My mind was blocking everything out. The only thing I could hear was Amato's voice, for some strange reason. His laugh, his sorrow, the many voices started ringing in my mind.

"... Let's go. They'll need our help." That was my reply, cold, short and to the point. Perhaps he understood what it meant, or maybe it was concern for the Famiglia, but Dante dropped the issue, and stopped the chain of conversation almost immediately. When I finally turned back, he flashed me a small nod in silence, agreeing to my words. Picking up his rifle and slinging it over his back, he pushed himself to move.

Without a second to lose, we left that scene atop the roofs, overlooking the many skyscrapers at its side with fleeting steps. With the eerie moon hanging above us, we stepped through the door before breaking into a sprint, not even turning to look back at Koenig. The very surroundings around us pressed at our throats, the very night itself felt suffocating. As we charged down the flight of stairs, earthquakes and tremors pounded on my wounds, aggravating the stinging pain that came with each of my movement.

The looming feeling was still present. Something that told me there would be more to this night. Much, much more.

* * *

**Finally! This piece of work literally took weeks to come up with! Every time I started to write, my mind just gave up and go blank! I must have really fell into a slump. Even so, my story progresses! The climax slowly moves on, and the first fight is resolved! Unbelievably, Koenigs lays dead from Vito's hidden power, a skill so powerful you die from a mere touch! Just what was going through Vito's mind? Could it be detrimental to the Zanna Famiglia? And what's happening in the lower floors? Keep your eyes open for the next update to find out!**


	63. I'm Removing The Chains

**Author's Note:**

**All right, no time to lose. I've wasted weeks already trying to churn out chapters for both The Boy, The Fang and The Gun as well as /Fate Dream Coma, and I really hope things don't drag on longer. With The fight with Koenig settled, we shift to the others. Hope you guys are ready, the ending is nearing!**

* * *

**Chapter 62: I'm Removing The Chains.**

Shadows encroach around us everywhere, the scene in the lobby now silent except for the minor tremors shaking down from the higher floors. The extreme heat rushing within my veins clashed painfully with the harsh, winter cold now apparent after the hand of the clock neared its midnight chime. Sergio... Johann... darn it, they didn't have to come with me to Japan! They didn't have to join me on any of this! Then they wouldn't have fallen through the crater, crashing a few stories down, they wouldn't have...!

"Wuargh! Hargh!" Feral instinct mixed with my raging emotions, I moved at a speed so fast my eyes could barely keep up, sending only blurred images to my mind. Like a motor, my body was doing all the work, maneuvering through the many fallen debris. Swiftly, I found myself dodging whenever Verde's machine threw out its attacks smashing towards me, before finally closing in on him and his wretched piece of technology.

Before I knew it, pulsing veins throbbed around my clenched fist as I sent it smashing towards Verde, ignoring all warnings of pain that would come.

"Clank!"

It wasn't the sound of my bone cracking that went off immediately after the attack. My eyes caught sight of where my hands struck just as I pulled it back, the metal now dented, its edges twisted, gnarled, as if pounded by a dozen hammers already.

_"You face peril everyday, and I didn't know anything about it.." Sergio's tone now changed to one of sadness and regret. _

_"Well, I won't just stand by and do nothing anymore. According to the Code, my life now belongs to the man who saved me."_

"Clank! Crank! Thunk!"

"Argh! Gragh! Hhhrrraaaggghhh!" I can't stop myself screaming! Fenris's fury seeped into me more potent than ever before. The memory in mind, Sergio's words from before, only riled up my emotion to their peak! Like anvils smashing against a metal wall, my arms never relented in their assault. Whole craters formed where smooth surfaces were, as sparks churned from every corner of Verde's machine.

I told him not to join! I told him not to help! And now he's...!

"Ngh..." Behind the cockpit's glass, Verde flashed us a worrying look, his eyes in disbelief as despair slowly filled its light. His arms flailed about in every direction, clacking down on buttons and levers alike in a desperate attempt to regain control of his machine and the situation. As my fists rained down on Verde's machine, the twin piston arms came for me from above once more, each strong enough to smash through concrete!

But, I saw the attacks coming seconds before they've even begun.

As the twin machine hammers came smashing, instincts took over. Instead of dodging with speed and agility, I surprised myself my arms were brought up, crossing them as a shield. The next thing I knew, I was going against the attack head-on, taking the full brunt of it! My left hand griping down on the jagged edges of my Legacy Arm, I could feel power seeping in and rising way past what I thought was the peak. The taste of the power reminded me of one other time I felt like this. The only one...

And it was when I Awakened for the first time ever.

"Crack!"

The sound rang out like a wave, shooting out into the night as solid metal tore at my skin and flesh. As the force traveled from the impact and through my arms, fire shot out from every pore of my skin, slicing away at my muscles. Pain unlike anything I've ever felt erupted as my bones were stressed to their limits, close to the point of breaking. Vision shaking despite having Awakened, I could only grit my teeth and shake it off. Force pulsed out from my feet, blowing away the sand and dust in an instant! A split second later, craters formed from where I stood!

"Uuurrraaaggghhh!" My screams became more and more feral. An excited, hyperactive compulsion throbbed from my veins. With a surge of strength, I threw off the twin pistons that was on top of me like they were nothing more than pillows, stumbling Verde back despite the strength of the suit he had on. Eyes locking down on Verde, my nose twitched as I glanced towards the corners on reflex. There I saw Kiera lunging forward, with shield in hand, armed and ready.

But as Kiera passed me at my side, I could have sworn I saw a look of concern from her eyes in the split second.

In silence, Kiera shot out her attack in an arc before her, swinging her weapon like a wrecking ball as she came smashing down on Verde!

"Krank!" With her usual grace, precision and extreme strength, her shield wailed down on Verde, whose machine now seemed to have lost quite a bit of the speed and agility from before. With the push of a lever, the mechanized suit took a stance, and with spark shooting forth from its joints, the arms went for Kiera, coming down at her with haste, almost as fast as before. One arm flew for Kiera's head, looking to crack her skull in a fatal attack, only to fall before Kiera's now slightly superior speed.

"Klank! Krink!" The attack skidded across the surface of Kiera's shield, as she pulled it up before her and countered Verde's opening move in its mid-flight. In Kiera's tranquil eyes I only saw the light of fury, empowering her every strike as she slammed her shield at Verde's Armada: Reconnaissance Substitute. The ear-splitting sound of metal slamming and creaking against metal filled the night thereafter, as Kiera's deadly arcs flew towards Verde from every direction.

"Hup!"

A gigantic sweep from the bottom left, smashing into the suit's leg joints, sending even more sparks flickering out. A huge jab coming down from the right, impaling itself into the mech's left shoulder joint. The structure and pattern was difficult for me to follow, and totally impossible for Verde's eyes to keep up, leaving him stunned and disoriented back there in the cockpit. As flustered as he was, Verde surprised me when he quickly recovered from his panic, his hand stretching out to his machine once more.

When he did, however, I had already begun moving again.

"Enough!" The arcobaleno declared, clicking down a myriad of buttons. That was when the mechanized suit moved unlike anything it had done before. Life breathed itself into its joints, as he dodged Kiera's incoming swing of her shield with ease. As my steps hastened, my open hand smashing and clawing at the ground to push myself faster, the piston arm came crushing down on Kiera once more. But, as the shield was raised overhead to block the attack, I saw the other piston arm primed, smashing at Kiera from below. This time, way faster than before.

"Guh!" The arm, the appendage rumbling like a jackhammer, struck Kiera by her chin, the attack so intense Kiera was knocked right off her feet, her fingers still wrapped around the handle of her shield. My eyes widened when I saw Kiera's expression of intense pain, suffering. However strong she was, a smash at one's chin could very well be fatal. With lightning speed, the two pistons came together, and smashed against Kiera's body just as she was brought up to the air.

"Eyargh!" I stop before Verde only to see Kiera screaming as she was sent reeling, flying to the far end corner of the lobby, opposite of the floor that broke away where the elevator stood.

No! Kiera! My thoughts screamed but no words could form from my lips, only a feral howl followed by the constant, monstrous growling. That was when I also realized my teeth was showing, I was flashing my canine tooth to my enemy like an animal.

"Gggrrraaaggghhh!" Turning my feral eyes at Verde once more, I threw my arms at him, fist and claw, screaming out even as my voice turned hoarse. The instinct before had become somewhat of a compulsion, and it was almost too much to handle. The power seemed to grow with my slew of raging emotions. I was angry, furious, worried, despaired, threatened. But among all those feelings, one kept shying itself from my mind, dodging into the shadowy depths...

I was afraid. I was losing myself to my Awakening. I didn't need anyone to tell me, my body made it obvious. This was the consequence of a choice I made long ago. When you chain a beast down for too long, it'll only grow more wild when you release it.

_"My name's Amato Zanna, Boss of the Zanna Famiglia." I declared with as much formality as I can._

_"You're a very interesting guy, Amato Zanna." Johann exclaimed, giving me a friendly slap on my back. He certainly looks happy because of the decision._

"Clank! Crack! Clank!"

"Uragh! Hah! Aaarrrggghhh!" Metal bending mixed with what seemed the sound of my own bones breaking apart. This time it was the memory of Johann that fueled my every strike, each one wild and completely devoid of any control. It was just a display of pure, primal power, the strength pouring forth from my Legacy Arm and into my body. It was as if whatever spirit, whatever power that had possessed the weapon from before is now furious, demanding vengeance and retribution, with my body becoming its medium.

The hold on my mind is barely hanging on.

"Oof!" And yet, with all my ability, I could barely touch Verde's machine, whose speed has now surpassed whatever it had moments ago. My eyes could barely follow his movements now. A strike against the side of my face sent my vision reeling, my mind going completely white for a second before rapidly coming back because of my Awakening, the inertia itself unbearable. My left arm flew towards Verde in a sharp jab, only to have his mechanized suit slipped right past its trajectory, as if the mech was dancing. Next instant, the piston drove itself into my right shoulder.

"Guh! Ack!" The immunity to pain from before had vanished completely, and even as taken over as I was, I found my body flinching over in pain, grunting and coughing out. The snarl never left the side of my face. Why did I bring Johann over? What benefit did I see in that exactly? Even if Kiera insisted, I should have downright declined instead of going along with her decision! Now... He's... He's... Without even finding out who he is! The thought themselves seemed to poison my mind, burning it with the weight of stress and the pang of guilt.

That was when one of those gigantic, piston powered arm came towards me with insane speed. Swing to my right side, my body reacted by bringing my two arms up and putting them together like a shield to block the attack.

"Crack!"

"Uuurrraaaggghhh!" With a heave, my cracking shoulders bend together and I tossed back that one arm with every strength I had in my muscles. The machine flinched back, its arm cracking with sparks exploding from its joints as the piece of metal is bent back in an arc instantly. Even as my fingers, stretched out in the shape of a claw, swung against the metal edges of Verde's machine, the frightening sight of my nails digging and piercing through metal, was both unbelievable and shocking.

"Aaawwwuuurrrraaaggghh!" Like a wolf reveling in the moonlight, my ravenous howl rang through the night, blood pumping from the light of the moon shining through the smashed walls and windows.

At that point, I felt as though I'm not myself anymore, losing it all to my emotions. It even made me feel a little afraid of holding Fenris in my hands. But I knew very well that the moment I let go, every bone, every muscle in my body would crumble there and then.

I will die.

The line of thought has passed through my brain many times throughout the fight. If anything, this power grants me the ability to defeat Verde and finish what the Zanna Famiglia came here for, what we came to Japan for! I... I'm not afraid. I don't care what happens to me, what happens to my body, so long as this arcobaleno before me pays for what he had done to Sergio and Johann! My humanity on the verge of extinction, my claws threw themselves at Verde, each arm wielding immense primal strength, my eyes piercing down on him like a predator.

The urge to rip out his throat with my bare hands coursed through my veins, I would only have to tear off the glass and steel between us.

"Ah!" Even when she's meters away, tucked in the shadows, Kiera's voice rang through my ears. With my enhanced sense of hearing, her voice was clear enough to prompt my head to turn in its direction, a sense of worry suddenly overcoming everything else. There, her outfit torn at multiple edges, swollen bruises here and there, Kiera pushed herself up with exhaustion, frustration and concern in her eyes. At her side, Aria did her best to help, supporting her by holding on to her shoulders.

"Hah... Ha hah... Hah..." Even from where I stood, I could hear Kiera's irregular breathing, panting with every breath. It pains me to see her so messed up like this.

"Amato, don't get yourself distracted! Look out!" Aria's voice came to me as a wake-up call, snapping me back to the reality of the situation. Turning my head, Verde's machine, with it's piston arms pumping, shot up to my face in a sharp jab. As fast as I had gotten, his machine was getting faster.

"Crack!" My chin shook, the bone of my jaw creaked as my head was thrown upwards, my vision failing me and my sight immediately blanking out. The whole experience was making me sick, stomach churning as the feeling dissipated. I tried throwing my claws at him like before, Fenris in my hand slamming at him with blind fury. It didn't work. The machine moved with almost human-like precision and agility, sliding away with mere inches from my every strike. Despite the sparks exploding forth from its joint with every move, Verde's menacing presence only grew.

The slight advantage I had from before was all but gone.

"Argh! Hragh!" In a panic, I sought to finish the fight as fast as it possibly could, using my emotions to fuel the strength of my attacks. Snarling, my right palm slashes across in a wide arc, aiming for the cockpit where Verde was. After all, with no pilot, the machine would be reduced to nothing more than a hunk of metal. Aside from that, the blood-lust inside of me was churning, growing, seeping out. My mind screamed for me to gouge his eyes and crack his skull. That is, until the scream was silenced by a crushing weight.

"Clank! Crack! Thunk! Crack"

"Yes... hah.. hah.. Get crushed under the strength of my creation! Hah.. hah.. Get squished like the bug you are in the face of the world!" Verde's rasping voice shuddered within its own high tone, as if he was trying to convince himself that victory was in his hands. Like anvils crushing down on my back, his mech pounded on me as he screamed and laughed, slamming down relentlessly, the rhythm only growing faster with each passing second. My back cracked like glass with each strike, the feeling resonating through the whole of my body as the concrete floor beneath my feet cracked and shattered from the impact.

"Ggguuurrraaaggghhh!" The annoying pounding had to stop, the stress in my mind festering, growing more and more with each slam. Back then I wondered if I wanted to kill Verde because of what he did to my friends, or just because my primal side detested him, looking at him with scorn. Amassing my strength, my arms forced back his attacks, throwing those thick, machine arms away, twisting the joints as another round of sparks exploded out.

"Hah.. hah.. How are you still holding out? What the hell are you? Your body should be dead already! It's just not possible!" By now, the panic had all but consumed Verde, as even he screamed and yelled in frustration behind the glass, the fear in his eyes shining bright.

And yet, the movements of his mech remained unhindered, the arms coming at me once more, slowly gaining speed and momentum, faster than anything alive. At Verde's command, the cold, metal appendage came low, the very air around it hissing at its speed.

"Gragh!" Another slam to the face sent my whole spine reeling, throwing my head back, blood spewing out of my mouth. Just as my jaws grit harder and ignored the pain, I turn back at Verde only to have a lightning fast impact struck my stomach, the piston arm driving itself into my flesh. My eyes widened as I was thrown off my feet. A blink of my eyes, and my vision was already turning, wind cutting through my skin and clothes.

"Whoa!"

Finally, words returned to my speech instead of those feral growls. As my sight turned, a familiar scene came into view, one that brought everything back. My fear, my anger, my grief, my regret. Only now, the fear was overwhelming the whole of my being. Upside down, my body flew towards where the half of the lobby fell away, the floor crumbled beneath our feet. The crater, filled with clouds of smoke, seemed no less than an abyss, a monstrous maw looking to swallow me whole. Before I knew it, I closed my eyes, and braced for impact, assuming I can still live crashing who knows how many floors down.

Yet, the impact never came. Only a soft hand locking with my own, pulling me towards its direction. Everything began to calm, the confusion of twirling through the air and the massive pressure I felt wringing throughout my body had disappeared, and I realized my feet touched something solid. Was it the ground? I think I remember kicking something hard...

When I opened my eyes, Kiera's face came into view. Her eyes full of worry with a tint of red, almost as if she was gonna cry.

"Kiera?" Dumbfounded of what just happened, I could only mutter out her name like an idiot, oblivious of everything else. Kiera's fingers were entwined with mine, even as I dangled above the crater where Sergio and Johann fell, my heel dragging at the edge.

"I don't want to see you lose sight of yourself, Amato.." Her voice was meek, her tone trembling as she pulled me back. Of course, I hadn't realized all my rage, all my madness must have been difficult for Kiera and Aria to see. With a tug, I escaped from nearly falling down through that gigantic hole. With a blink, the emotions disappeared and Kiera's eyes returned to their usual, serious glare. In that instant, I realized that all my pent up emotions had vanished. I'm my old self again.

When my eyes looked into Kiera's, I found myself looking downwards, with no words coming into mind. I had no idea what to say. Only seconds after when I peeked at Kiera do I realized she was acting the same.

"Gah! Ouch! Argh!" Suddenly, my knees fell to the ground, my arms clutching down on my torso as my screams filled the air. Pain and stress gushed back into my body, seeping through my every pore and chewing down on my muscles. I could hear the sound of my bones cracking resonating through my whole body. Ack, all the pain must be coming back!

"Amato!" Kiera's cried out my name once more, nearly dropping her shield as she stretched out her arms to help me, only for me to raise my hand in decline.

"No time, Kiera. Verde's coming." My voice strained with pain, I did my best to not show it on my face. Apparently, it failed, as Kiera's expression only soured. In the distance, Verde's machine creaked and rumbled as the flair of sparks kept shooting out. Despite the damage, Verde was still making his way towards us, smashing away all the rubble in his path, neglecting all the speed and stealth the mech possessed before. The next moment however, he was already behind us, bringing down his piston arms.

There was little time to react, and we found ourselves leaping to the sides towards the still standing walls, Kiera jumping with her shield in tow on her feet while I twisted and tumbled as my back struck the ground. Exhaustion was written on our faces. We could barely maintain a stance, the two of us constantly gasping for air. Kiera clung on to her shield for support, with her cuts still bleeding and bruises all swollen. Seeing her like this, it's too much!

"Kiera!" I called out to her, more of a yell than anything else. What happened next surprised us both.

The decision made in my mind, my free hand reached out for the multiple white plates adorned over Fenris. With my body wrecked with convulsion, I steadied my fingers for the task before me. Whatever strength from before still lingered in my touch, and with it I tore the hinges off the plates, twisting them backwards in a hundred and eighty degree turn. With each plate restored came a gush of hot air, pumping out furiously from the piece of Legacy resting in my hands.

"I hope I made the right choice..." I mumbled to myself, my hands still shaking. There is a total of ten pristine plates, white adorned over a pitch black surface. I can feel the weapon resonating power with every turn, sucking in the very energy from the air around me as my surroundings grew colder, as if it hasn't been fed for a long time. Kiera only stared at me with caution, and the look of uncertainty.

"I'm removing the chains."

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**Wow, sorry this came out so late! It certainly is quite difficult to write out a chapter when all I really had to work with was grief, emotions and building up for what is to come! What do you guys think of this particular update? Give me your views in your reviews! Amato grieves over the loss of his two friends, nearly losing himself to his Legacy Arm! What is going to happen now that he's planning on releasing it from the chains? Keep your eyes open for the next update to find out! I promise it won't too long to pop up!**


	64. Impact Howl

**Author's Note:**

**I really, really need to hasten my updates. It feels like the climax to this arc is going on forever, and according to my planning, there is still a few chapters to come. I hope the ending satisfy all of you readers out there. It is an essential part to the whole story and most importantly, the man named Amato Zanna himself!**

* * *

**Chapter 63: Impact Howl**

"This is it." Aria spoke out, her tone monotonous, completely different from her usual self. Her voice lacked the emotion she had. "This is the moment I saw." A glance to my side showed her clasping her hands together, a daze in her eyes as her voice boomed from my side.

"The true power of the the Legacy Arm known as Fenris." Within that one sentence from Aria, I could feel uncertainty, cautiousness as well as a hint of awe.

Blocking a blow from those mechanical arms sent be flying a few feet towards her, but despite all the pain and ache in my body, I managed to land on my feet, my knees scraping the ground as I did. The bleakness of the night seemed to seep into the lobby, only lit by the moon hanging above us.

How long has it been? It felt as though it's been days...

"What are you talking about, Aria?" I can't possibly believe that she actually predicted this situation before us, and so I toss out my question, not really expecting an answer. The sound of metal scraping against the rubble along the floor struck my ears as Verde, in his mechanical suit, came pounding for me. One crushing strike after another. Faced with such strength, I could only dodge to the sides. It's not that I'm afraid, but I had the feeling that the lucky breaks granted to me early on in the fight had disappeared. The power was already seeping back into Fenris in an alarming rate.

But now, Fenris itself is the very power I need, the strongest I've ever wielded.

My eyes dart up to see the pistons primed, pumping down from my right. Tossing my body backwards, I used my left arm as a fulcrum, twisting my being as the ground just a few feet to my side shattered, stone and sand blown into the air. With a heave, the momentum pushed my body around in an arc, my two legs kicking the arm away side by side. I could feel my two feet cracking as a sharp jolt of pain spiked as my muscles struck metal, resonating through every part of my body.

"Kuh!" A cough forced its way out of my mouth despite my efforts to push them back down. A glance showed my body landed itself in quite the position, my two legs stretched to the back while my left arm supported the weight of my torso. Shooting my eyes up, Verde was already in front of me. Twin metal arms comes crushing down, the air hissing as the speed of the attack ripped through.

"Clank! Thunk!"

With a slight breeze, Kiera appeared above me, leaping forth with her weapon in hand. Pulling back her serrated shield with ease, the hunk of metal shot at Verde like an oversize nail, breaking the pistons off their trajectory. In mid flight, I watched as Kiera gracefully twirls her already battered body in mid air, throwing another huge arc with her weapon. Metal clashed and from the relentless assault, Verde and his mech was driven back, stumbling as the arms broke to the sides. The joints cried out sparks and electricity as if they were at their limits, the sound shocking the atmosphere in the lobby.

Staring at the pulsing weapon at hand, I felt myself drawn at its edges as thoughts raced through my mind. How should I use the attack, and when exactly is the right time?

"Kiera, we'll need to snare him down! Make sure he takes the brunt of my incoming attack!" My head snapped up, and the words came pouring out, my voice raspy and hoarse. Her emerald eyes flashing towards me, she gave a sharp nod before turning back to face Verde. Although its movements slightly broken, Verde, within his mech, stumbled forth with great speed, smashing his way at Kiera. Bringing her shield over her, the girl who is my caretaker barely dodged the attack by kicking at the ground, leaping back.

My role was barely reduced to one of a distraction. When I saw Verde coming towards me, the gigantic machine closing in and striking at me, with only a slight tremor as an indication, there was little I could do. Barely bringing my leg up at the machine's speed, it would become the shield to protect me, thought I was worried if that was all it takes.

"Crack!" The sound of bones snapping hit my ears, it could be felt from within the whole of my body. Forcing myself not to flinch, I grit my teeth and raised my other leg, stepping up on the arm and raising myself off the ground.

"Hah!" I have no idea why I yelled, but it seemed to help keep my focus intact. In the air, my hips twisted as the whole of my body turned, my leg coming around in an arc. The kick flying straight at the mech's cockpit!

"Krik! Crack!"

Cracks split across the surface of the glass at my attack, much to Verde's shock, disbelief plastered over the whole of his face. Then, worry exploded as he began to sweat bullets, annoyance and frustration in his big, baby eyes, hidden behind a pair of tiny glasses.

Shifting my eyes a bit to the left however, another blow came for me before my feet even touched the ground. The lump of metal, so finely designed, pushed through the air with little to no resistance, flying down at me in deadly silence.

"Crack. Krugh." The feeling of bones cracking shot me louder than before, and my muscles squelch as if they're being mashed. The piston arm went right into my chest, breaking my rib cage and smashing everything else. My vision blackened out for a split second before reality hits me, and everything began zip away from my sight, real fast. Blown off my feet by the attack, my body was sent hurling a few meters away. The feeling of pain and nausea overwhelmed my senses, and I could only wrap my arms around myself tight and brace for impact.

"Thud!"

My back slammed against the ground with a loud hit, my bone grinding against the rubble on the floor while sand and stone scraped my skin. When my blurred vision sharpened, convulsion wrecked the whole of my body as my arms pushed my up. The next thing I knew, Verde was already throwing his arms at me again, the pistons pumping down, looking to crush the life out of me.

"Thunk!"

The sound of metal hitting against metal rang off after a bout of shambling footsteps. In the next blink of my eyes, Kiera now stands at my side, her stance absolute as her shield is stretched out, blocking Verde's attack. Beads of sweat flowed down the side of her face as Kiera struggled for a second, holding the two arms in place with just one hand. It must have been a great burden, even for someone as strong as her. The fact that Kiera's size is smaller than my own did little to help.

"Hrah!" It was one of the few time I saw Kiera screaming in defiance, a hint of desperation in the light of her eyes. Empowered for a second, she threw back Verde's machine, surprising us all. With ease, Kiera brought her shield swinging towards Verde's mech like a wrecking ball, in a graceful arc from her right. Her presence grew from her determination alone, as her weapon slammed at the mech with unbelievable fervor. Looking at it, it seemed as though the fights hours before were nothing but a warm-up session for Kiera.

"Shank!" The impact only aggravates whatever damage the joint of the mech's leg already had, sending waves of spark and electricity bursting out every few seconds. Before Verde could even react, Kiera shot out another attack, the shield flying towards the arms. With a heave, she cleaves at them as like hot knife through butter.

I wonder if them being made of metal actually mattered, they were tossed about just as easily as any other opponent Kiera fought before.

"Another anomaly? Why can't either of you stay down?" Verde panicked, pushing down as buttons as he could find, twisting the levers behind the cracking glass. The mech's right arm pummeled at Kiera, crushing towards her. With a flick of her shield, Kiera deflected the blow, hurling the lump of metal back. In swift motion, Kiera leaped upwards, grabbing down on the edges of Verde's machine. Hanging at the front and staring down into the eyes of Verde, Kiera jammed the sharper end of her shield down into the two joints of the arms. The air hissed as sparks blew forth, electricity shooting out into the air, flying wild.

"How much more can your machine take, Arcobaleno?" Leaping back, Kiera broke her silence with a taunt, her stance suggesting she could still go one for another few hours. In contrast to that, Verde's ARS seemed to be at its very limits, a creak to its steps with fumes and sparks coming out everywhere.

"Just you wait...!" Behind the glass, Verde had all but lost his composure. Fear is now obvious, spilling onto his face. With a flick of another lever, the machine lunges at me once more, even ignoring Kiera as the bigger threat for some reason. Like a pincer, the arms fly to the sides, all stretched out, before closing in on me, looking to snap my body in two. All the while, strength was being drained from my body. If I had to make a guess, it's probably backlash from locking up Fenris for so long. It certainly didn't feel this way the first time I entered my Awakening.

With my agility no longer fast enough to dodge, I could only raise my arms to block the incoming attack.

Except, it never came.

"What? A malfunction? The whole mech is struck with paralysis!" With my shaky vision and a constant throbbing in my head, Verde's words was like an angel's song, with its light and choir. Standing with my legs apart and a crouching back, Verde could only stare at me from behind the glass of his frozen machine. This is exactly what I was waiting for.

"Lord Amato, now!" With a grunt, Kiera's commanding voice shook the very air around us as she yelled at the top of her voice, her shield laid down at her side. Her skin was getting pale, sweat flowing down the side of her face. Anyone could see the exhaustion taking over her body. I guess the showcase before could very well have been bravado.

Darn it! With my fingers tightening around Fenris, I raise my right arm, getting a clear shot with my Legacy Arm. The weapon in my hand was different from what is was before, so much more savage than what I've used to. The appearance itself, white plates shooting out like the mane of a wolf, filled me with a certain hint of unease. Suddenly, it felt as though the winter wind got that much stronger, the gust freezing the warmth off of my skin. Pushing whatever thoughts away, my finger slipped onto the trigger.

_Ba-dump._

And then there was silence. Apart from the constant beating of my heart, no one was making a sound. The wind howled as Kiera, Aria and even Verde waited in caution, fear, hope and anticipation. After the mech stopped moving, the sparks stopped exploding from the joints. Yet, a nagging feeling chewing in my heart holding my trigger finger in place. Why can't I fire?

_Ba-dump. Ba-dump. Ba-dump._

Of course, it's been a while since this feeling appeared. Only one thing could explain the breaking of sweat, and the grip going around my insides, tightening down slowly with every second. My heartbeat only got more and more frantic, feeling as though it would jump right out of my mouth. That few seconds standing there felt dreadful. And there's only one explanation for everything I'm feeling.

I'm... afraid.

_The very first time I Awakened was... mind-boggling..._

_It wasn't so different compared to now. Pulses of energy and power blew out from my very being. Wind gushed around me as this strength filled my veins. I remember the feeling of my whole body turning as light as a feather, the sound coming into my ears becoming as clearer than ever before. My senses sharpened, I could see what was happening blocks away as clear as I was watching television, the smell from the many bakeries down the street filled my nose. The feeling of soft grass beneath my feet and the cooling wind brushing against my face felt that much more refreshing._

_Freedom would be an understatement to describe the feeling coursing through my body. As my fingers curled into claws, my body taking a stance. It just felt really, really good. Kiera stood by my side with that cute, red ribbon on her head, still unfazed by what was happening except for a glint of interest in her eyes._

"_Raah! Hah ha ha ha!" I can't rightly remember what happened next. I think I started pouncing, and clawing. With a kick of the ground, my body would bounce to the tree a few feet away. My grip dug into the wood as if it was made of paper. With another kick, the trunk was shaved right off its roots. Leaping towards a boulder in the corner, it fell to my swipes, nail, flesh and bone scraping into the rock with no pain at all._

"_It's.. stronger than I expected." Kiera finally broke her silence from behind me, her eyes still observing my every move. "All right, Lord Amato. That's it for today, tomorrow, we're delving straight into control." She announced, as if everything happening before her was normal. The sight of her walking towards me made me wonder. But, the sight of her trying to take away Fenris triggered fear, caution, defiance._

_I pretty much lost myself to my instincts right there._

"_Guh!" Kiera winced as a hint of pain appeared on her face. The hand that reached out to snatch Fenris away was caught by my free hand without a slightest idea coming into my mind. Despite being quite skilled six years ago, Kiera couldn't break free of my grip no matter how much she struggled._

_I remember staring at her confused face before something warm pressed against my lips. Immediately after, my arms tossed her blushing face aside, before aiming Fenris at the wall of the Zanna mansion._

"_Arwuuuuuu...!" With an inhuman howl, my feral self pulled down on the trigger. And the blast shot out from the nozzle of my Legacy Arm, power from my very surroundings almost crushing my body as they gathered around me, seeping into Fenris. Light twist and turn around the wave of force, as if they were power given physical form. It was a gigantic blast of white with a hint of purple, looking like nothing I've ever seen before. It certainly wasn't any bullet that was shot despite Fenris taking on the shape of a gun._

"_Hah.. ha.. Hah.. ha" For the first time in three centuries, the walls of the Zanna mansion gave way, stone and wood broken and thrown aside. The blast strikes its target area, and everything within the border of the blast is decimated, completely obliterated by pure concussive force. There, amidst the clouds of dust and sand blown into the air, I stood, panting with excitement like an animal._

_My hands and feet scrambled into the mansion, breaking stone and wood alike. I couldn't control myself from leaping and pouncing on from one corner to the next. Within me spawned the urge to move, to jump, to do what I instinctively knew I was capable of. Within minutes, it had grown into a sort of compulsion, and I didn't want to stop. Most of the Zanna Famiglia recognized me, but some others pulled their guns at first sight._

_It didn't end well for those._

_Instinct drove me to shoot at those that felt like a threat to me, and the outburst of force sent forth from Fenris left them half-buried in rubble, the very ceiling crushing down on them. The next scene that filled my sight was that of the main hall, over looking from the grand staircase. The peace that had my feral self so enthralled was broken by a familiar voice._

"_Lord Amato!" I turn to my back, from where the voice came from, only to have a crushing blow striking against my jaw. Kiera, with shield in hand, smashed into me in an attempt to calm me down and drive me back to my senses. So overwhelming was the force that I was thrown off my feet, my whole body sent reeling to the side, crashing into the stone pillars littered in the halls. _

"_Kiera! He's the next Boss, right? How can you even hit him like that?" Disoriented for a second, Sera's voice rang through the quiet hall. _

"_Right now, he's the strongest person in this room, and the most dangerous. He won't die from my attacks." Kiera's cold reply shot out, sending a shiver down my spine. Sharp, jabbing pain spiked from my veins all over my body, but my legs pulled me out of the rubble around me nonetheless. _

_That was when I saw Fenris already aiming for Kiera._

"_Gragh! Arwuuuu...!" Another bone-chilling howl, and I was forced to watch myself fire on the girl who had been taking care of me. The same thing happened. Unbelievable power, molded in the shape of a blast, exploded from the weapon in my hand. Shock split into the light of her eyes, Kiera immediately pulled her shield over her instead of dodging to the sides. Behind her, Sera and the rest of my Famiglia could barely muster a reaction before the blast hit them._

"_Ack!" Unable to withstand the destructive power of my attack despite standing behind her shield, the backlash knocked Kiera off her feet, hurling at an insane speed towards the stairs. In horror, I stood and watched as the smoke cleared, and a bruised Kiera appeared in my sights. Blood trickled out from her wounds, including a big one above her left eye, all gnarled and red. My Famiglia scattered around her to help, but with a blink of an eye, Kiera was already up on her feet._

_Flinching at the what I saw, my distraction proved costly, as Kiera's giant shield fell on me, crushing me to the ground. When my muscles pulled on my bones, my tensed body almost pushing off the enormous weight, several other members of the Famiglia hopped on top of me, clamping down each of my limbs. All I remember from then is to get away from all those people as fast as I could. Yelling came from all sides, and I think the noise was what scared me the most._

"_... He's not letting go!" A stranger's voice shot into my ears as I was struggling._

"_... Then go with plan B, Fina. Do it, just as I explained... Hurry!" From under the pile of weight and sweat, I could hear Kiera's sharp, commanding voice, yelling out instructions._

"_... H-Hold on, I'm moving! I'm not an engineer, you know..." Despite everything that was happening, Sera retorted back an argument. At the side of my eyes, I saw her and a number of my Famiglia tinkering on the Legacy Arm I had in my hand. With much effort, they twisted back the sharp edges protruding from Fenris, holding them in place with bolts and screws._

_That was when the swelling power and the overwhelming compulsion began to die down, slowly inching away from my veins._

"_Clack."_

_I awoke with all voice stolen from me, and tears trickling down my eyes. The Legacy Arm had been tossed to the sides the very moment I regained my touch, and I found myself chucked at a dark corner of the hall. Hugging my knees, convulsions wrecked my body as the feeling grew from the fear deep within me. Kiera and the others picked themselves up and retreated into the mansion. When my eyes turned to them, they only looked to the ground. But their injuries were still fresh, theirs wounds red and bloody._

_I can't believe I hurt them like that._

"Lord Amato!"

Kiera's voice snapped me back to the present, tearing me away from the vividness of my memory. That few seconds felt like an hour in my head. With a blink of my eyes, Verde came back into sight, still unable to move. Despite the tremble to my touch, my shaking hand brought Fenris up once more. For that moment, every thought, every emotion, was thrown out of my mind.

"Hraugh!" With a scream, I pulled down the trigger. What happened six years ago seemed to replay themselves in the present. The wind grazed my skin as they grew into huge torrents wrapping around the whole of my body. From the Tear of the Fang hanging around my neck, a pale, almost mystical light shone forth in intervals, leaking out before the whole of my being radiated. Like a beast taking in it breath, power swirled just in anticipation of the incoming blast.

That was when I saw the piston arm of Verde's machine moving again, flying at my arms in a great arc.

Crack.

"Hhhrrrooonnnggghhh."

From Fenris burst forth a strange and horrible sound. A second was all it took for the wave of light to explode from the weapon in hand. Translucent light, similar to those of my Awakening, lit up the lobby in an instant. But, what it decimated was the ceiling to the second floor, completely crushing away everything in a diagonal line from where I stood. At the last moment, Verde disturbed my aim, smacking my arm to the sides. It was a miracle Fenris didn't get ripped out of my fingers. The whole building shook because of what happened, small debris and sand started falling down at us every few minutes.

"Ugh. Ack." Suddenly, my knees gave way to the insane spike of pain shooting out from my right hand. As the realization of failure surged onto me, my instincts cried for me to move. The stress of everything happening around me felt as though they would tear into three separate pieces, and as I pushed my eyes back up at Verde, I saw him towering in front of me already, the arms already coming down.

"Amato!"

Kiera's voice came from beside me as her shield blocked the sight of Verde's attack. They smashed down on the piece of metal and the screeching sounds pierced into my ears. Immediately after that however, Verde's mech put his arms together and smashed the shield aside as if it was made of cardboard. It was as if Verde anticipated Kiera, that she would jump in to protect me. The very sight of the enemy managing to disarm Kiera was so unbelievable I was left stunned by what I saw.

"Thunk!" Kiera's gigantic shield scratched the against the debris on the lobby floor as it crashed, smashing at the wall. Verde's assault didn't slow down at all, and the arms flew towards us soon after. Kiera only raised her tiny arms in response. From the back, I couldn't even see her face.

"Crack!"

A blow to her ribs, I had to watch as the machine tossed her body off her feet just by landing a single punch. The other arm smashed into her hips as she flew, digging and ripping onto her shirt. In that huge swing of the arms, Kiera's body was sent hurling once again. My teeth clenched down on themselves as I got to my feet, the sight before me happening too fast for me to actually do anything, and that is the most painful part of all.

"Hrrraaahhhh!" In a burst of light, I felt every broken bone in my body sticking back together. Strength came back to me, nullifying the throbbing pain in my body. I actually felt my senses sharpening. Darn it! Verde! Verde! My mind screamed his name as I pounced on him just as Kiera was tossed. Anger was clouding and aggravating everything, but my body was still within my control. Kiera.. She got hurt because of me again! I kept getting her harmed, ever since that day! Darn it! Darn it!

I don't even know if my powers really came back, or my mind just used that thought as an excuse to sic myself on Verde. Unrelenting, I threw my punches, one after the other, my strength barely pushing the mech back. Verde would fight back, the mechanical arms smashing right at me from the sides, only to have them deflected when my punches collided with those hunks of metal. The skin on my knuckles split, and dark, red blood started bursting out. Soon, a numbing pain started spreading from my hands.

"Crack."

The sound came from somewhere. I think it was my ribs breaking. Verde's mech and its piston arms drove themselves into my flesh countless of times, that is the truth. I couldn't possibly deflected them all. After the third hit, a snaking pain running through my hips, all that was left was a hot sensation burning through my body. My joints ached before going cold completely, locking my movements. I couldn't jump to the side to dodge Verde's attack even if I wanted to.

It didn't take long before the sparks stopped spewing again, and Verde's mech stopped dead in its track.

"No! No! Not now!" Behind the cracked glass, Verde cries out in panic, as he glances at me with absolute fear in his eyes.

When everything stopped, my body felt... lighter. The pain slowly vanished, and a faint, warm light seemed to pour out of Fenris as well as the Tear of the Fang, enveloping my whole body. Unlike before, this light feels kind, accepting. Through my tired eyes, I could almost see the spirit of a great, white wolf, standing at my side. It looked to me with eyes of concern, and it nudges me with its fur, tickling my right arm. With its nose, it pushed my Legacy Arm into my sights. I understood instantly.

"I have no more mercy for you, Arcobaleno. I hope you die from this." The declaration came as I aimed Fenris at Verde, held steady by my two hands. In the corner of my eyes, Aria just looked back to me with a face full of relief, approving my action with a nod.

With no hesitation, I pulled down on the trigger the moment the aim locked on.

Right, there was no need for fear anymore. My body realized the risk of losing myself to the primal side of my Awakening is gone. Instead of the overpowering sensation I've always felt, the feeling seemed a lot warmer now. Kind, soothing light embraced my body as opposed to the wild, destructive surges that battered my being with power. As the power is focused, gathered within Fenris, the majestic beast at my side gave out the all familiar howl. That's right... The howl of the wolf always came with the blast...

As the blast exploded from the Fenris, the light and force focused into a powerful ray, I yelled out the words that popped into my mind...

"Impact Howl!"

"Giiiyyyaaarrrggghhh!" This time, the attack struck its Verde right on the dot. Stone and sand, even the pieces of debris littered on the floor was blown to the sides as the blast smashed into Verde and his mech, swallowing them whole within its radius. Glass shattered as Verde's scream filled the night, seemingly breaking whatever peace our surroundings had left. It was unbelievable, the sound of metal ripped apart came right after, as the force of the beam tore at the edges, digging a hole into the center of the mech where the blast was the strongest. I watched as the pieces of glass and steel knocked into the air got shredded into oblivion.

And then it was over. With no power holding it up, the mech fell to the ground, slumped at one side, smashing onto the broken floor. Verde's tiny little body rolled out slightly from the cockpit, his eyes flashing white. I can't really tell if he's alive or dead.

"Aria, you okay? Where's Kiera?" With light steps, I was already running towards their general direction, as if the injuries that had ruined my body tonight had disappeared. There was no time for me to suffer in pain. My friends have it worse!

"Amato, she's over here!" Following Aria's voice, my steps took me to a pile of rubble, a crater formed from the pieces of stone and cement. Kiera laid there still and unmoving, her body covered with cuts, bruises and wounds. Her clothes were dipped in crimson red, and the faint smell of blood lingered about from where she laid. The very sight filled me with guilt, sadness and worry. It's all my fault... Why did I hesitate? Darn it! My fists trembled as I bent down to my knees, my eyes still pinned on Kiera. What should I do? What can I do? Where's Vito?

At least, with her chest still rising, I could make out that Kiera's still alive. The very thought made my eyes all watery.

"All right, no time to stand around..." I called out to Aria as I looked around the lobby. The silence was particularly painful. Gently, I pulled Kiera's unconscious body up onto my back, and slowly made my way towards the edge of the lobby that had already fell through. Behind me, I could hear Aria's muffled steps, dragging along the floor. Looking down into the crater, I couldn't see anything beyond the smoke and darkness. Darn it, Sergio... Johann...

"Sergio! Johann!" The screaming in my head suddenly burst right out of my mouth. Before I knew it, I was screaming for my friends into the crater. "Is there... any possible way for you guys to survive?" I asked the question, as if expecting an answer. Darn it, it's all my fault! It's all my fault! Looking into the abyss, their broken bodies could be laying there for all I know... Suddenly, the urge to punch myself rose within me, as well as the wrenching feeling of tears swelling into my eyes. How can I even think like this? Having no real idea on how to resolve this situation, I could only hang my head on my shoulders as my tears began to trickle...

"Thmp. Clack."

The sound of footsteps kicking onto the stones blew my eyes open. Immediately, the image of my Sergio and Johann making their way out of the crater, having survived the fall flashed into my mind. Almost losing my balance on where I stood, my body turned towards the source of the sound, being careful not to put any unnecessary strain on the girl resting on my back. That was when my hopes were shattered almost instantly, the sight before me only bringing a sense of terror and disbelief.

The man that was with Verde before stood a few feet before me. Innocenti, clad in the same white lab coat albeit extremely torn and tattered, just stared at where Verde was before turning to me. His tired face filled with frustration and disbelief. What's he gonna do? Is he still fighting? If he's standing here, then that means Sergio and Johann is...!

Suddenly, he zipped away from my sight. Surprised, I twist my body around to see him darting towards Verde, picking him up without even stopping before heading for what looked like door to the stairs!

"H-hey, come back here! What happened to Sergio and Johann?" Desperation came over me, and I screamed at him while my steps chased behind his, with Aria trotting along. For some reason, my mind decided that he would have the answers to the status of my friends, whether they were alive or.. Refusing to accept such an outcome, I needed to hear from the guy to not only give me some idea about what happened to Sergio and Johann but also to curb this gnawing feeling of regret inside me.

But, with Kiera on my back, and the pain from the whole of my body slowly seeping back, I couldn't move fast enough, and had to watch as he slammed the door open and disappeared from the lobby itself. Kicking and shoving my way towards the door, I pushed myself onwards. I couldn't afford to lose sight of him, the desire to hear from Innocenti was the only thing driving away the chaos in my mind. Even more so if he was still after Hinata! With that in mind, my fingers gripped down hard on the old, rusted doorknob, and I gave it a powerful twist, yanking the door open.

"Huh?"

"Eh?" I couldn't help crying out when I heard a familiar voice spoke out when the door swished open. What came into sight was just... unbelievable. The tremble to my touch got way worse. A second passed and I could already feel the tears welling up again...

"Sergio! Johann!"

* * *

**Finally, this chapter is done! I hope I conveyed the feelings well enough, and made the debut of Amato's attack grand enough to instill a sense of magnitude. Was the build up acceptable? Did it kept your excitement up as the attack was slowly unveiled? Tell it to me in your reviews! I know my updates have been coming slow... I do try to chock them up on a weekly basis, but sometimes I get stuck and rushing through those parts without planning them out feels wrong for me. I hope you guys don't mind the wait!**


	65. Unshakable Resolve

**Author's Note:**

**Hey guys, it's been a week already since the last update, yes? Or has it been two weeks? Sorry, I've been wrecking my brains for my original story at FictionPress, entitled 'To Walk One's Path'. If you're interested, head on over and give it a read! Now then, last chapter ended with Sergio and Johann coming out alive from the pits. Just how did they win over Innocenti? Read on to find out!**

* * *

**Chapter 64: Unshakable Resolve**

**A Sacred Code.**

My mind entered into a field of shadows, the twirling darkness leaps and curls at the sides. What happened? Every inch of my body aches, and I can feel the wounds scattered all around. The open cuts sting every few seconds. That's right, I remember. A sharp, piercing sound exploded in the air. The floor gave way, cracks splitting the ground beneath my feet. Panicking, my eyes darted to the sides, and I saw Johann losing his balance, before he plunged first into the ground. That maniac in the white coat followed.

Another sharp jerk and I saw Amato's face, his pupils shrinking in terror before gravity lunges at me, dragging me down into the abyss.

I don't know what's happening. In the darkness I twist and turn, or at least, I think I did. Numbness had overcome my senses, and a ringing headache started to throb, throwing off my mind. Everything feels so... detached, out of place. What about Johann? Is he all right? Where is he? Questions after question only got me more irritated, annoyed. Driven into frustration, I force every inch of my strength to move, and only got sharp jolts of pain in return.

_Ba-dump._

Am I dead? Now, even the numbness has ceased, and every where else is just cold. Heavy static bogged down on my hearing, the edges of the shadows seems to be closing in. Dammit, this is so pathetic. Amato's probably somewhere right now, fighting for his life. Well, probably not his, Kiera's perhaps. He's always like that, ignoring his own well-being just so he wouldn't have to see others hurt. He's so stubborn that he'll probably never change his ways.

That's why I decided to follow him. My arms will be the strength he needs when he realizes that he can't do everything alone. Dammit, I need to find Johann! I need to help him, to help everyone, to help the Zanna Famiglia! I can't die here, I won't accept it!

With those thoughts, feeling returned to my fingers, as I clenched them into a fist. The air around my skin, my body warped from a slight chill to scorching hot. My arms went flailing with every pound of my mind. Even as my palm cracked from the pressure, the impact, desperation sent adrenaline down my veins. I couldn't stop even if I wanted to, which I didn't.

_Crack._

The sound of my own bone cracking continued, shaking into my very core. But for some reason, it only got me smashing into the stone weight pressed against me with greater speed and ferocity. My eyes blew open as a tiny crack sent light seeping into my eyes. With my fists trembling from fatigue pulled back, I threw them against the gray stone before me with all my might.

"Hrrraaaggghhh!" The crack grew as its edges broke away, orange light blinding me as I forced my way out screaming. The pile of rubble flew to the sides as my arms smashed into them. Finally standing up at the spot where I laid, my eyes shifted all around me as my shoulders heaved and my knees trembled. Tinted yellow filled the room, this wide empty space where the walls of solid stone stood, towering at each side. Above us, the cracked ceiling warranted no assurance on the situation above.

Taking my wobbly steps onto the uneven debris, my movements only got faster as the severity of the situation slowly returned. I might have survived, but what of Johann? How are we gonna get out of this fancy hole dug deep into the ground? My fingers bled and tore as the scraped against stone, glass and steel as I dug, the scorching air searing the surface of my skin. Giant pieces of debris was tossed to the sides, as fast as I possibly can.

"Crack. Thud."

Suddenly, as the gray slabs were pushed to the sides, strands of blond hair came into sight. Johann's unconscious face peered out from the shadowy corner to the right. With the katana still within the grasp of his fingers, the guy showed no signs of moving, even as I stumbled my way to his side. My eyes widened at the sight of my friend like this, it doesn't even look like he's breathing!

"Johann! Johann, wake up!" The shock was a bit too much, and my body moved before I even noticed. Ignoring the aching pain within my joints, my back bent down as my hands landed on Johann's shoulders. "Why aren't you moving? Don't tell me you're...! No, you're stronger than that!" In that deep, confined space, the yelling borne from my desperation became the most prominent, rebounding off the high walls.

I don't know what I should do, what I'm supposed to do! Johann showed no reaction even as I screamed, and a cold touch lingered from his skin.

"Oh shut up, you're giving me headache!"

My head bobbed at the same, snark voice from before. Too brief to pinpoint where it came from, my head jerks from one corner of the great space to the other.

"Skletch!"

With a blink of my eyes, a sharp jab pierced into the back of my neck. The impact felt like I was impaled by a sword from my blindside, the great steel blade plowing through my flesh and bone. Too tired to shout and scream out my pain, my vision fumbled, twisted and turned as my hands reached for my neck, gripping down as if hoping it would curb the shock. When I bring my hand to my face, all I see is dark, red blood before my back struck the floor, my hazy vision washing white.

The last thing I saw was Johann's body giving off a tiny twitch.

…

"Clank!"

Creeping shadows filled my mind once more. My dulled senses struggled within the darkness, which was only lit by occasional flashes of light and the looming sounds drowning into my ears. Every once in a while, violent clashes of might resonated forth, pulsing out from somewhere and captivating my instinct. I can feel it, just a hint, even without sight, sound or touch.

"Sergio, wake up!"

"Ka-shink!"

Metal clashed against metal, and in another flash of light, I saw Johann pitting himself against the man named Innocenti. Before my eyes blurred, sparks exploded as the sleek, katana blade scratched against the twin chisels Innocenti has on hand. Back in the sea of shadows, it felt as though my body was being tossed around, a tight grip clamping down on my shoulders. In another flare, my body is now laid down with my chest scraping on the stone-riddled floor. I can see the links of my chains strewn at the corners, edged between the many pieces of debris.

"Klank!"

With another burst of sparks, my hand reached out before my vision blackened, and I felt the familiar cold metal gripped between my fingers. Struck by nausea and inertia, my trembling knees pushed my wobbly body upright as fast as I could.

"Sergio! Gah!" Johann's cry ended with one of pain, and the sound forced my blurry eyes open. With a casual pace, Innocenti brought down his arm in swift motion, and tore into Johann's chest. His flickering white coat was soon stained with drops of blood. Shocked by what's happening before my eyes, my two arms pulled back the heavy links of chain around my fingers, and in one swift motion, I hurled them in Innocenti's direction.

"Hragh!" The chains, like hunters seeking their prey, snaked around Innocenti, constricting his every joint. The artist can only show a look of surprise before I tore back at the ends of my chains. Throw him, defeat him! Nothing matters right now, not the aching pain pounding on my body, not the worrying thoughts on exactly how we're supposed to get back to Amato. There was just that one single thought that pumped strength back into my arms.

The weight from my chains ravaged my arms and shoulders. But, as clarity returned to me, the first thing I see is Innocenti crashing into the chunks of debris in the corner. Huge clouds of dust and sand exploded into the air, dimming the lights above. The smell of concrete only got stronger.

"Kuh! Cough!" Johann's voice snapped me out of my thoughts and back to where I stood. I turn to see him panting down on his knees, blood trickling down his now open chest.

"Johann! You all right?" My legs moved even before my words came out of my mouth, as I made my way to Johann's side. Arms supporting his shoulders, I gave Johann the support even without him asking. He looked to be in too much pain to even stand on his own! With his brown eyes blanking out every few seconds, Johann's face was slowly being swamped, the signs of exhaustion were slowly surfacing.

"Uh... Yeah, I'm fine now..." Even then, his strong front never faltered, as he gave me his assurance in the form of a smile stretching across his cheeks as soon as he looked at me. Somehow, I got the feeling that he's trying his best to console me... Hah, idiot! As my mind reprimanded Johann however, I couldn't hide the soft smile that appeared on my face.

That is when Johann's face, as well as everything else just zoomed out of my sights.

My very surroundings ran from the edges of my sight. Wind scratched my skin as my body is tugged by an insane force, the chains around my arms snapping into my flesh and bone. Pulled along by my own chains, I was dragged off the ground before I could even scream.

_Crack._

My body smashed against the wall with a loud crack, the impact so large every muscle I had went numb. I couldn't even feel pain as I got up to my feet, convulsion wrecking every inch of my being. Amidst the dust clouds blurring out everything beyond a few feet, I hold up the chains only to see them pulled tight from the opposite end where I held them. The familiar face, sharp eyes and a round, sharp chin emerged as the dusts settled. His footsteps slow, Innocenti paced his way towards me with intrigue spilling onto his face.

What the heck? Just what is this guy? Falling through into this basement as well as being smashed into the debris didn't even scratch him! He looks as he was an hour ago! With my eyes pinned on him, my body lunged as soon as feeling returned, gripping tight on the chains as I threw him a punch from my right arm.

But my movements were too stiff, a snail's pace compared to his block and counter. With one single step, he dodged to the side while driving his knee into my solar plexus.

"Guh!" As the force pushed me upwards slightly, I couldn't help but cry out in pain. Unbelievable, he's unlike anyone I've fought before! As my eyes were on the verge of blanking out again, I caught sight of Johann pouncing towards us, his silver blade glistening in the light. A hand pushed against my back, breaking the motion of my fall. As my glance shot up, my vision sharpening, Johann's blade sliced through the air, the great arc of his swing only inches away from my face, flying towards Innocenti's head.

Of course, if things were only that easy.

"Kashing!"

Johann's slash rang through the air, missing off Innocenti's head and neck cleanly as the guy dropped the chains in his left hand hand and took one step back, his speed so fast it almost felt like he was disappearing from one spot and re-appearing in another. As I tried to rid myself of the nausea and numbness that had devoured my body, a sharp pain throbbed from the back of my head as the feeling returned. The sudden jolt was so intense that my jaw just snapped shut, teeth gritting down so hard my teeth felt as though they would crack, just to bear the pain.

_Throb._

"Gah! Hah... Ugh.. Hah.." It hurts! It hurts so much! It feels like there a hole at the back of my head, and blood continues to pour! The pain surges and fluctuates around my body, but it never goes down! Slowly, on my knees, I crawled back, the picture of Johann and Innocenti fighting before me slowly getting smaller. I felt like running away. And I hated myself for even thinking about it. No matter how much I went against the notion, my violently trembling body refused to listen.

"Clank!" Johann was still going at it, trading slashes against the artist even though none of them actually landed. An open slash was blocked by an arc from Innocenti, who simply waved his chisel, the mere movement strong enough to push back Johann's attack. A side slash from the left was dodged effortlessly, while Innocenti socked the side of Johann's cheek with a punch, sending him crashing onto the floor.

Finally, I forced my knees to stand, and that got me to stop moving. Clenching my fingers onto the remaining chains I had on hand, my arms pulled them back with all the strength I could muster, even as Innocenti turned his attention to me. His nonchalant eyes losing interest as they glanced from the chains wrapped around his right arm and back to me.

"Hup!" Digging my heels into the ground, my muscles ripped themselves apart as trembling arms tugged on as the chains tightened. With myself sweating bullets, I watched for the outcome of the act in which I had my hopes staked on. Innocenti's right shoulder is nudged outwards, the chains still wrapped around his right arm. Yet, the next moment he tore his arm free, the chains bent to his will by strength alone.

My body, however, couldn't handle that power. Suddenly I was pulled off my feet, falling forward towards the enemy.

_Crack._

Pain shot up from my jaws, my body scraping on the stone-riddled floor as my chest slammed down on solid concrete.

"Ack! Ah!" My eyes could barely keep themselves open from the pain, and the wavering vision didn't help at all. "Hragh!" Desperate, my knees stumbled forth as I pushed myself up, the equilibrium that brings balance to my body gone as I throw Innocenti a right cross. I didn't expect it to hit, but if I could distract Innocenti for just a second, Johann might be able to land one his powerful slashes. True enough, my fist was countered by Innocenti's right arm, having smashed my fist away with a swipe.

Johann's precise movements were hidden behind his casual facade, as his katana blade sliced at Innocenti in great arcs, a diagonal slash from below. Yet, Innocenti's inhuman movements swished from side to side, twirling on his heels, as though he already saw through the attacks before they even begun.

"Hah!" Everything was happening so fast. The moment Innocenti dodged Johann's blade, my body pounced, my left arm pulled back before shooting forth a sharp jab. Innocenti didn't even look at me as he shifted his shoulder to take the attack, my fingers cracking down on what felt like a concrete wall. Suddenly, pure strength washed through my left arm, as Innocenti forces me back with a push from his shoulder alone. Next, his right arm shot out, clamping down on my neck. Distracted by the sudden spike of pain, I couldn't rightly see Innocenti's left knuckle surging towards me.

_Crack._

"Gah!" A hammer smashed into my stomach, shattering all of my insides. My stomach were on the verge of tearing, stretched into unimaginable shapes because of all that's happened. "Gragh!" Another pound into my body shook my vision as my eyes turned to Innocenti. The only thing I was capable of doing was glare at him. Before I know it, another punch slammed against my rib-cage, and another. Soon, I lost count entirely. As I squint my eyes to sharpen my quickly deteriorating vision, Innocenti's right jab hit me like a truck, my back cracking as I smashed along the concrete floor.

"Kashink!"

Down on the floor, I was showered with a thousands sparks exploding forth from Johann's blade, as an overhead slash coming down on Innocenti was deflected with a casual swing of his chisel. Surprised, Johann's eyes widened in shock, his blade jabbing towards Innocenti once more. The guy twisted his shoulders, dodging the stab while his elbow ran itself into Johann's chest.

"Augh!" Drops of blood shot out from Johann's mouth as he screamed, the very sight horrendous beyond belief. But, before he could even finish, my blurry eyes caught sight of Innocenti's arm crushing down on his neck, lifting him off his feet with unbelievable strength before smashing him down on the debris riddled floor at his side.

_Ba-dump._

The sound of my heart boomed into my ears, blurring out my vision. With a blink of my eyes, I watched in horror as Innocenti paces his way towards me, dragging Johann on the ground. Though Johann was still gripping down on his blade, the rest of his body was no longer moving.

Get up! Get away! Fight back! Do something... Anything!

My mind screamed, but the whole of my body was already frozen with fear, a constant shiver throbbing through my skin.

_Ba-dump._

With darting eyes, Innocenti's face, with the same nonchalant eyes and a sly smile, came into view as blunt needles pierced into my throat. My consciousness wavered as Innocenti pulled me up, lifting my whole body with only his one, right arm. Suddenly, the walls tightened, Innocenti's fingers jabbed into my skin, crushing on my throat. My supply of air dwindled almost immediately.

"Gah! Augh! Hah... Hah.. Ack!" Darn it! My fingers scratch down on Innocenti's hands, but no amount of strength could pry them off! My mind was whiting out from all the fear, the confusion and disorientation, convulsions wrecking every part of my body. Soon, my body became too tired to resist, and my vision sinks into darkness.

The last thing I saw was Johann's pained expression, silent and unmoving.

…

"You guys definitely have the potential. Why throw your life away like this?" The same, annoying voice pierced into the darkness of my mind, slowly pulling my eyelids open. "We're not killers, we're scientists, artists and merchants." Why's he saying all this? What's he playing...? Slowly, light entered my sight once more, to the scene where it's more like Innocenti was speaking out loud to himself, his voice bouncing off the high walls.

"How bout this, I'll let you go, and you guys leave this place tonight. No questions asked." Blatantly, he tossed out his unbelievable suggestion, the impact of the words blowing my eyes wide open.

Is this pity? Mercy? He's asking me to leave behind Amato, to turn my back on him just for the safety of my own life... I know he's powerful, so powerful that I might die here tonight. That's why I'm feeling so afraid right now. Before I know it, I was gritting down on my teeth and my fingers tore into my flesh as I clenched them into fists. I hate this. This fear and helplessness. Every time I think I've gotten stronger, it just keeps coming back. … I'm afraid, but not so much that I would leave my best friend in the lurch!

… Right, my Bushido Code won't allow it!

"You guys can live, and you'll never see us again..." This time there's almost a sense of mockery in his voice as the antagonizing words seep into my ears like a whisper. "That Zanna kid's probably gonna die, though..." That off-handed remark sparked it off. Cold, gripping fear now morphed into scorching anger.

"Shut up!" Two voices in unison roared out at the man before us, seething with rage. I think Johann's awake and angry as well. That's no surprise. As if reacting to his words, my right hand came crunching on the hand around my neck, gripping so tightly I could almost feel his bone.

I can't believe I'm hearing this from the enemy that tried to kill us just seconds ago! The very idea fills me with disgust, aberration. Even if it's mercy granted from an enemy capable of taking my life away. Even with my trembling body, gripped by fear, my rage is overwhelming. The numbness to my touch is slowly pushed away, the feeling quickly returning. Amato... I know he'll never do that, to me, or to anyone he knows. He'd never betray anyone. He's too nice to even think of such thoughts, and that means he'll probably get himself hurt.

And that's why I promised to help him... If he is to fall, I'll be the one to catch him by his shoulders. If he was under assault, I'll stand in front of him, and be his shield. This pain is nothing! I promised to help him, and I meant it! In every sense of the word!

Innocenti's face flashed a look of utter surprise as he realizes his words garnered the exact opposite effect intended. My eyes glared down on him as my fingers only tightened further, strength slowly coming back to me. We're winning this, here and now, and we're getting back to Amato's side! There's no way this guy gonna put a dent in our loyalty!

"We're following Amato even to the depths of hell itself!" Yelling out in defiance, my hand ripped Innecenti's fingers free from my neck, trembling as I slowly forced it to the side. In response to the disbelief in Innocenti's eyes, I only mustered a wry smile of confidence. Johann, even as his joints cracked as they started moving again, gave me a nod in reply with his usual smile.

"For better or for worse, we have inherited Amato's will! The two of us will never turn our backs on him!" Roaring out, I tore at Innocenti's arm, throwing it away. At that instant, Johann's smile disappeared, and his eyes sharpened in focus. With an awkward one-handed swing of his katana, the silver blade slices in a powerful arc flying towards Innocenti's face. But somehow, the guy was faster, already catching sight of the attack and tossing Johann away.

Seconds later, the entire left side of Innocenti's white coat was ravaged, torn at a dozen different locations!

"Thud!" With a heavy smack, Johann's side landed on the concrete floor a few feet away. The whole of my body tensed at the sight of what happened, but I forced all my strength to throw a cross from my right. My bone cracked as Innocenti's left arm came up to block, my muscles throbbing. Following the momentum, my two feet kicked into solid, concrete floor, and my left fist came flying in a wild arc, aiming for Innocenti's sides. But his right arm was withdraw in an instant, forming a protective layer over his right side.

_Crack._

Cringing for a second at the pain, for some reason my eyes zipped downwards. In half a second, Innocenti's legs stomped forward, and his left knee came flying right up for my stomach again. Oh no you don't! Driven by reflex and instincts alone, a step back was all it took to dodge, and my right leg was lifted, intercepting the attack and locking Innocenti's leg in place behind slipping behind his knees. Now's my chance! My hands clamp down on the enemy, his wrist and shoulder as I pushed my head and chest back.

"Uragh!" I can barely think, my head wrecked with the inertia and shock as my skull came crashing right at Innocenti's head. Turning my head into a weapon, I'm giving him nothing less than a headbutt!

"Crack!"

"Gragh!" Finally, we'd done some damage, as Innocenti screamed out in pain stumbling back on his two feet and losing balance for the first time since he traded blows with Kiera. I wasn't completely fine, though. The reckless move left me slightly disoriented, my vision flickering and whiting out. I had to grit my teeth and still my mind to push away the pain and dizziness. My vision cleared in time to see Johann back on his feet, already going after Innocenti, his katana blade glistening in his hand.

"Hah!" Unlike before, Johann's movements changed. They were faster, sharper, slowly catching up to Innocenti's speed and agility.

"Ka-shink!" Metal clashed against metal once more. Innocenti and Johann went for each other in a speed so intense my eyes could barely keep up. A sudden arc from Johann's blade towards Innocenti's legs prompted the artis to jump, spraying forth his chisels like a rain of shrapnel. "Clank, Shing!" In precision, Johann slashes away at the projectiles, hitting every single one of them before lunging forth with a gigantic step, thrusting

the blade at Innocenti's chest. But even so, the guy dodged by slipping downwards just slightly, inching away from the trajectory.

"Ugh!" The attack came at a sudden, probably because no one expected it. Instead of using his blade, Johann's feet kicked the ground and he charged right at Innocenti, smashing into him with a full body tackle with his shoulders leading the charge. As Innocenti flinched, Johann's movement didn't stop, he turned to the sides on his hips and sheathed his blade, taking on an intimidating stance right at Innocenti's side.

"Second Gate: Across The Silver Moon."

With a flick of his wrist, his whole body turned, the blade slipping out of the sheath immediately. Dancing at Johann's command, it became nothing more than a sliver of light as it sliced at Innocenti in a horizontal arc. Too close to dodge, the blade cut into Innocenti's clothes, skin and flesh. Still, the guy managed to jump away before the slash was able to cut through his stomach completely.

"Argh!" As crimson blood stained onto his torn, white coat, his hands fumbled to the cut, clamping it down to keep it shut. At that split second, he flashed at us the glare of a demon. With a blink, however, his eyes went back to normal.

"Hah.. It seems all I did was stoke the fire... Hah.. Hah..." Reaching into his coat, his hand came out with a new pair of chisels in between his fingers. That's when I realized his smile had all but disappeared.

With a simple toss, four of those chisels impaled into my left foot. The metal pierced through cloth, skin and flesh alike, even cutting into the bones of my feet. Roaring heat burst out from the wound as the pain throbbed.

"Eyargh!" The pain was too much, and I fell to my knees, screaming out into the open. My hands fumbled around the chisels with no idea what to do. The tiny pieces of metal was lodged through my shoes and through my feet, digging deep into the concrete floor. The impact had cracks spitting what was once a flat, solid concrete!

What.. the.. heck? Damn that guy!

"Guh!" At the same time, I saw Johann crouching down to his knees as well, his feet plunged into the ground too. The sight itself was horrible, a pain to even look at. Johann's blade trembled in his hands as he tried to pluck out that wretched spikes piercing his feet into the ground.

"Johann!" Without thought, I screamed out his name as if believing it would help. At the corner of my eyes, Innocenti stood there stunned as he stared at his watch. What the heck? He's not even panting in pain anymore! Blood trickles down his side, and yet he remains unaffected! Every effort to free myself only ended with a myriad of pain throbbing forth from the numerous wounds now riddled across my left feet, as well as a new wave of fire burning through my leg muscles.

"No..." The enemy only muttered that one word before turning his back on us. Innocenti's face soured within seconds. As if completely erasing our existence from his mind, he began scaling up the piles of debris, some tall enough to reach the ceilings. If I know any better, he looked to be fleeing from us, trying to get out of this hole we've fallen into!

"H-Hey! Don't you run away from us! Get back here!" Completely taken aback by the sudden change of events, I screamed the words out as I struggled to get free, every slight movement a jarring, painful experience. With every tug, every exertion of force, I could feel the wounds growing bigger, the cold metallic pieces grazing against my flesh, sparking off bursts of pain and heat. The next thing I know, a dizzy spell slowly took hold of my mind, and my vision started flickering again.

"Ack!" Dammit, he's slipping further towards the ceiling with each passing second! Weakness started flowing forth from the pain around my foot, and before long, it became difficult to even struggle. At this rate, Innocenti will probably get to Amato! I can't let that happen!

"Augh! Hrrraaaggghhh!"

My teeth grit against each other so hard I thought they would crack under the pressure. My body trembling and convulsing at the same time, I tore at my leg, determined to free myself. Muscles, flesh and all, grind themselves against the foreign objects locking them in place. I could actually feel the tiny little pieces of my foot being grazed off, the picture in my mind every time I shut my eyes in pain. With one, final pull, my foot felt as though it was getting torn off of my leg as the whole piece of flesh, skin and bone were ripped free, the metal chisels slipping through the very wounds they inflicted.

"Gragh! Argh! Hah.. Hah.. Guh.. Hah.." As my vision was clouded by shadows, the next thing I know I'm already on the ground, groveling on my knees. D-Damn... Dammit! With every second the pain seemed only to grow. I gotta move, Innocenti's getting away, no doubt heading towards Amato! But, muscles tear and weakness overwhelmed every inch of my body every time I moved!

"Ah! Hah.. Gah..." Stinging sweat was mixed with my tears, every attempt to move was thwarted, locking me at that one spot. The only reason I didn't fell flat on my face was because of my elbows and my knees supporting me up while they trembled. I think it'll be a while before I can start moving again...

Just as the thought crossed my mind, as horrible as it was, a warm, heavy object gently placed itself on my right shoulder. It took me a while to realize it's someone hand, with a faint tremble in its touch. With my eyes turning, Johann came into sight, wavering as he stood. In his hand, the metal chisel was bloody, dripping with his own, crimson blood.

Hah... Can't believe he's already up on his two feet... The thought was the very push I needed.

With our shoulders side by side, giving us the support we needed, we started moving as soon as we could. There was the door, much to our surprise, entrance to the stairs hidden in a corner of that space.

* * *

"Ka-chik. Ka-chik."

"And that's what happened..." My story finally ends as another scraping throb made me cringe. Vito, who had been listening on with intent, much to my surprise, only keeps shaking his head from side to side as he bandaged the wound on my foot. All the while, he had this severe look on his face. I guess it must have been pretty wrecked up. As the elevator rumbled its way up the floors, we took the chance to tend to our injuries and clean our wounds.

"What the hell! You're not even supposed to be able to move with wounds like these!" As the doctor reprimanded me and Johann, there was a slight hint of surprise in the tone of his voice. His eyes widened much like a child staring at a toy. Could he actually be impressed? Vito and Dante made their way down to us in the lobby just seconds before we decided to board the elevator, their bodies all shook up, wounds here and there. I think that was the first time I saw Kiera so surprised, so enraptured with disbelief.

The C.E.O.'s office is our destination. With Dante and Vito's report saying the way into the office through the stairs are blocked with debris, we had little choice but to use the elevator instead. Now it seems like a godsend that electricity still runs through this desolated corpse of a building.

"Sniff... Sniff.." In the corner, occasionally lit by an orange glow from the glass panels looking out of the elevator, we could still hear that soft sobbing. What... don't tell me he's still going at it...

"Amato..." Taking my steps towards him, the closer I got to the sight of him rubbing his eyes with shaking shoulders, the more difficult it became for me to speak. I mean, I've never even seen my best friend cry before! And now he's crying because of me! What should I do? "Look, I told you, we're both all right! So please stop crying!" Before I know it, with no answers to the questions, I started avoiding them completely.

Strong, tough and valorous. That's how I've always been raised to see guys as. Seeing Amato like this is just...

"It's just... Sniff... I really thought you guys were dead!" His baby-blue eyes wet with tears, Amato just threw his arms around me, giving me a tight hug. Ugh.. This is getting ridiculous! When my eyes turned to Johann for help, all he did was giggle at the sight with a wide grin on his face. It's as if all the injuries he had were already healed.

"The little confidence you have of us both is kinda disheartening.." My complain slipped out as a retort to what Amato said. Within that space big enough for about twenty people, its walls covered with grand, innovative designs sculpted in, Dante and Vito just turned to the sides, blatantly ignoring this little scene before them.

And yet, I think I saw the ends of their lips curl upwards and Vito holding back his mocking laugh.

"I'm sorry!" Amato replied to me with a scream that nearly ripped out my eardrums, still clinging on even as I tried to pry his fingers off. I really didn't need his body pressing against mine...

"I think it's pretty cute." Aria teased as she twirled her way towards us. "It's rare to see a guy crying out of love for his friends! You almost never see it anymore..." She continued as she stopped at my side, trying her best to calm Amato down with a wide smile on her face. It seems this little show got the depression out of her.

"Love and Camaraderie is an important trait for the Boss.." Kiera gave her opinion as she stood at our side, calmly observing everything that's happening. Yet, her own words couldn't mask the strange, surprised look on her face as she glanced towards Amato. Her eyes stare with such wonder I almost expected her to drop that giant shield at her side. Though she cleaned up a bit, bloodstains could still be seen all over her body, her clothes viciously torn apart here and there. Amato himself didn't look as worse, just what happened while we plunged into the basement?

The question only surfaced in my mind briefly before Amato's arms released me and he turned his attention upwards, staring at the ceiling with his eyes still reddened. The tears and sobbing stopped almost immediately.

"Kaboom!"

The loud noise shatters into our ears, sending tremors through the building and into the elevator. The very contraption we stood in shook and rumbled beneath our feet!

"Whoa!" On reflex, I screamed before immediately seeking out for a ledge of any kind to cling on to. While dust scattered and tiny pieces of debris rained down on us, I turned my eyes to see everybody doing the same, except for Amato. My best friend just stood there, unfazed by the quake and staring at the door with an urgent, worried look on his face. There have been many quakes ever since Johann and I got back to the ground floor, each one wilder than before, and this has got to be the worse one yet!

"Doom..."

When everything stopped, the doors of the elevator creaked open, sliding to the sides. The very scene through the doors was that of flickering orange flames burning at the extreme corners of an old, decrepit office. The openings that looked into the skyline of Akihabara were laced with pieces of broken glass. Blackened bloodstains covered the floor, and a destroyed tabletop is smashed into the corner. What a horrible scene. Dusting off the sand and stone in my hair, my eyes caught sight of everyone just recovering from the quake before seeing Amato run out through the doors.

"H-Hey, Amato!" My shout alerted everyone around me, as they soon followed as I jumped out of the elevator.

"Hinata! Hinata, where are you?" All of a sudden, Amato began screaming out in the center of the room at the top of his voice. The hoarse tone shot out as his voice cracked, and he squints his eyes every time it did. No doubt it hurt, but it didn't stop him from continuing.

"Amato, what are you doing? I realize the need to find Miss Hinata, but we can do it together, so please stop screaming!" Distressed at Amato's sudden outburst, Kiera took a step towards him with her left hand over her torn, pink shirt, the very sign she does when she's worried.

"Just let me do this, Kiera! I.. I need to be the one who gets it from her!" As I stand a few feet behind the two, Amato's defiance against Kiera raised my brows in surprise. I think everyone was surprised as well. As far as I know, Amato has never openly disagreed with Kiera before, not with such willfulness.

That's when I catch sight of Kiera's shoulders stiffening as her left hand was dropped to her side. Standing there in the room strewn with debris as well as its ceiling smashed apart, there was but a moment of silence. Kiera? Is.. She okay? What's happening? All I could see was Kiera's blond hair tied in braids from behind her, her bold outfit under the light of the moon shining in from the where the windows used to stand. The next moment, the rest of us watched in even more surprise as Kiera gave a bow to the Boss.

"Very well. I apologize, Lord Amato. I have been rude and abrasive. It will not happen again." Those were the words Kiera spoke of as she hung her head. What? That's not necessary, right? The very sight was so incomprehensible the lot of us couldn't croak out a single word as Kiera turned and made her way back to us, a dazed look in her eyes. Further away, Amato only looked to the side in regret before turning back into the room.

"Three centuries ago, the Zanna Secondo retired to this land, bringing with him wealth, influence and most importantly, his very own Legacy Arm. When he would no longer need it, he entrusted the Legacy Arm to his most trusted friend, and his family line became the guardians of that Legacy. Bound by duty, they weathered through many trials in order to safeguard that treasure of my Famiglia. You've done well to keep it with you all this while, Hinata..."

His eyes serious, Amato continued his speech, calming down as his voice took on a more authoritative tone. It was a complete change from how he usually acts.

"Now I only ask that you present to me that which is rightfully mine."

"Phiew, Zuu!" A loud sound unlike anything I've ever heard shot out into the room, caution flowing into us as our eyes instinctively searched every inch of the place. As I did, there was one thing that bothered me. The sound.. it sounded more like it was building up... Accumulating!

"Fwoosh!"

The deafening roar caught us by surprise, as a massive fireball shot itself towards Amato, right in front of our eyes! In seconds, it exploded into a sea of flames, engulfing the very scene before us!

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**Sorry! I'm really sorry this came out so late! Ideas have been coming in slow nowadays, and I still want the chapters to be interesting enough on their own! Still, this chapter marks the first time I went past six thousand words! Is it a bit too much? Would you guys prefer shorter chapter updates? Tell me your thoughts in your reviews! Finally, the Zanna Famiglia reaches the top of the building, only to be disrupted by a fireball from a not-so-unknown source! What's gonna happen now?**


	66. Promise

**Author's Note:**

**Sorry! Sorry! I'm really, really sorry for such a late update!(Again.) It's like I'm losing the feel of my characters! It's getting harder to mold out the events of each chapter unlike before, when I could just write a whole piece in an afternoon! I know the climax had been dragged to oblivion, so these last few chapters has got to be the best ones ever! Now let's see this arc resolve!**

* * *

**Chapter 65: Promise.**

The same orange flame, bending to her will, devoured the space before me, around me! Instincts screamed louder than ever as I kicked the ground, jumping back and reaching for Fenris from his holster. As my fingers fumbled, grazing against its jagged edges, the flickering flames chewed on my clothes before the wave of force sent me flying! From the shadows of the fire, a silhouette appeared. Amidst everything happening, there's one thing I needed to do! I must do!

"Ack! Fen-"

_Crack._

I couldn't even finish the word before my jaw were forced shut, teeth gritting down so hard I thought they would crack and bleed.

"Graugh!" I fell to the ground the next second, landing smack on my chest. I must have smashed against a wall, as it felt like a concrete slab slammed me on the back. Every bone in my body creaked as my muscles leaked a wave of fire. Pain surged through my already numbed body and spread like wildfire.

_Jab. Smash. Crack._

And yet, it seemed little compared to the debris crumbling down on me, crushing on my elbow and my knees. My mind blanked out from the pain, and the next thing I know, my consciousness started to fade...

"... Amato!"

Their voices cried out my name, shocking my eyes open. As my vision got clearer, so did my hearing, and I could hear worry, fear and frustration. Darn it, I need to get up! There's no need for Kiera and the others to get agitated like this! However, even the slightest move sent a crushing, swallowing pain throughout my body as my bone and muscle clamp down on each other. No good, nothing's working! Darn it, is this it? We finally reached the top and this is the best I can do?

The questions screamed out in defiance in my mind, and as despair inched ever closer, a certain memory flickered pass my thoughts...

"_Hee Hee!"_

_It's her laugh. That childish giggle that's been nothing more than a thing of her past..._

Suddenly, feeling returned in a violent blast as a familiar force surged through my veins, pulsing and blowing away the weight crushing down on me. Fenris's howl rang past my ears...

"Nooooo!" When my voice returned, the first thing I did was scream out as I got up to my feet, tossing the many debris away. Light blinded me for a second before the usual words flashed across the Tear of the Fang. That's when I realized Fenris was already in my hand. "Ah... Hah... Hah..." Still, sweat poured forth and stung my eyes while my panting breath kept churning out even as I stood in my Awakening. I guess I can't escape my exhaustion that easily.

"He got back up! He's okay!" Sergio signaled the others from way in the back, his voice filling the room. I couldn't quite make out the words from the others after that, but I swear I heard more than one sigh of relief.

Standing in the corner of the charred office tinted by the glare of the dancing flames, I watched as Hinata appeared. Dressed in her bloodstained uniform, she had her eyes turned to the ground and her hands clenched tightly into fists. Great, the plan worked! She came out of hiding! Even the object of desire was present; Kujaku dangled around her neck from golden chains, giving off the same bright, shimmering light.

"Hinata.. I..." It was difficult to speak, to give my reasons. I knew what I had to do. I needed to reclaim Kujaku, but... to Hinata, it's so much more than just a simple jewel, a precious treasure. The thought haunted my mind and the words just disappeared as I put one step in front of the other, inching ever closer to Hinata. Her light brown hair was thrown all over despite how short they were, and in the contrast of the orange flames, Hinata's face came into my sight.

"Why... Why must you come?" With tears flowing, Hinata never looked more meek, more vulnerable as she spoke. "Your goons can't kill me off so you're here to finish the job?" As her gaze fell even lower, she muttered out that comment as if she didn't want to believe it.

"Wha-what?" Hinata's words were a bit too much. I never wanted to hurt her, let alone kill her off! Surprised, I turn towards Kiera and the others only to catch the look of confusion on their faces.

"...Boss! Hah... Hah.. It's those guys, Koenig, Innocenti and Verde! ...Hah.. They gave her misinformation!" From the back, Dante forced himself forward, yelling out the words despite how horrible he looked. Drenched in sweat, he barely held on to his rifle for support, the very sight reminding me of how much everyone was hurt tonight!

"You lie!" That was Hinata's response, the one that pretty much drew my eyes back on her. As she screamed, I watched as her pupils widened in shock. Taking a stance, her arms flew up each sides as her hair became tinted with a mystical red glow. Runic symbols flew all around her before focusing around her fists. My body was frozen, right where I stood. I couldn't even take another step closer. What am I doing? I need to get Kujaku, that's the whole point of us coming to Japan, but...

"Hinata, listen-"

"Shut up!" In the end, I guess I decided to turn to persuasion, but my words were cut off by Hinata as soon as they were spoken.

"Phiew, zuuoo!" Flames erupted from her fists, charging up into glazing fireballs. I can't believe it, the flames flicker and burn, but they wrap around Hinata as if they're protecting her! Suddenly, they were pulled right at me, the orange glare piercing into my eyes and the loud humming ringing into my ears!

"Your words hold the same weight as the rest of them!" The flames were angry, stoked by Hinata's frustration.

"Fwoosh!" As her voice died down, the fireballs shot forth from the tip of her knuckles in a wave of light and sound! Force pulsed from where she stood, sending tremors all around us. Yet, Hinata stood there the same as before, unaffected by her massive display of power!

No time to be impressed, I gotta move! Instincts screamed at the back of my head and my legs kicked to the ground just as the light of the fireball blinded my eyes!

"Whoa! Guh!-" As the heat seared my skin, the wave of fire chewed my back as the fireball zoomed passed.

"Move!" Kiera's shriek came half a second after my scream, as she and the others scrambled into the different corners of the room. As a gust of air blew against me, the wave of pain spilled forth, tearing ravenously at my back!

"Gu-Gragh! Kuh!" As my sight blurred from the speed of my pounce, my cough threw up blood, the taste of iron staining the inside of my mouth. The only thing I could do was grip down on Fenris, his sharp edges piercing through my palm so that the pain would keep me conscious. The burns throbbed with every passing second, driving weakness through every inch of my body.

I land on the floor, my palm and knees scraping against the cold surface, only to lunge forward without thinking as another flare of light lit up from the corner of my eyes!

"Augh!" I thought I managed to dodge the searing flames but a sharp jolt throbbing at my left shin and ankle told me otherwise. I land once again to Hinata's left side, already down on all fours. The pain is too much, and mixed with the exhaustion and fatigue felt through every one of my muscles, my bones, I can't think straight! Before my wavering vision, my Awakening slowly overpower my senses bit by bit. That's when a feral growl slipped out my mouth.

"Something's wrong..." Kiera's yell shot out from behind me, a stern tone to her voice. "He's not as fast as he's supposed to be!" Is she talking about me? By that point all my mind cared about was retrieval of the Legacy Arm, amidst all other conflicting emotions and memories. The pain just made it easier to ignore everything...

"Grr..." I couldn't see clearly, even with my eyesight enhanced, but my other senses were there. I could pinpoint where Hinata was by smell alone, and when the illuminating warmth resonating from Kujaku touched the surface of my skin, I leaped in its direction! Too fast for her to react, Hinata's eyes widened when my steps took me right to her side. But, as my fingers closed around the jewel, I saw not anger, blame or frustration in her eyes...

I only saw fear.

That snapped me back, and all the uncertainty flooded right into my mind. I was still holding on to the jewel, but it felt as though my sub-conscious prevented me from ripping it off her neck right there. Instead, I just held on to it as my eyes pinned on Hinata's. There, a wrenching feeling hit my gut. Darn, she looks so shaken. Suddenly, Hinata brought up her right arm while her entire being seemed to shrink. Shutting her eyes, the symbols appeared again, encircling her hand as she drove her fist down at me!

"Thud!"

Unfortunately, I saw the attack seconds before it struck, and so the hand gripping down on Fenris moved on its own, and blocked with great force. Before my eyes, Hinata winced in pain from that small gesture alone, the sight tearing me on the inside.

"Hinata, please, listen to me! I didn't send those bastards after you! It's all just a mis-" With the chaotic torrent of thoughts, memories and emotion hindering my mind, my voice came out yelling before I know it. Hinata, however, seemed so stricken that she started sobbing. At the sight I realized nothing I say was actually even getting to her at all.

"Why.. Why can't you just leave me alone...?" In between her crying, Hinata looked to me with a fear stricken look on her face. From her reddened eyes, the tears just kept flowing out.

Alone. That one word sparked off another memory from my mind, and the images starts to roll. The same as before, the experience was so immersible I found myself drawn into the memory almost completely.

_She had always been alone._

_They called her the accursed one. There were quite a number of families who lost their loved ones to the fire, but she was the only one who survived. They hated her for that. Others avoided her. Some even put the blame on the poor girl. And then there were those who turned against her, and those that sought Kujaku. Even as a child, she had to fight them off. Killed them. It became too much. Trust blurred before her eyes. Who is friend, and who is just hiding a knife behind their backs?_

_She could no longer reach out of her shell on her own, and turned away as it slowly closed..._

_In the end, it was always her, her mentor and the warmth of Kujaku. The memory of her parents was all she needed, present in the light shining forth from the jewel._

_But then why is it that the strongest, most recollected memory she has is the one where she cried to herself in a corner of the house?_

"Phiew, shing!"

The ear-splitting noise snapped me back, as Hinata jerked her free arm forward. Light and pulsing force swirled and hissed around her fist until another fireball came into existence! The last thing I saw was Hinata's eyes still tightly shut, her teeth gritting before she forced it against my open chest!

"Kaboom!"

"Gragh!" Again, I was thrown off my feet, reeling as the lingering burn sent waves of pain to every inch of my body, every bone, every muscle. My vision darted all around me, the sights slipping away from the edge of my eyes for a bare instant.

"Thud!" I did all I could to brace myself for the crash, but I still slammed my back against the solid floor with a loud crack. At all sides I could hear muttering, snippets of voices here and there. I don't think my current predicament is a pleasant sight to watch for Sergio and the others. Slowly, my senses sharpened again, and Hinata came into sight. As she stood, now a few meters away from me, she was wrecked with a myriad of emotions. All while her tears kept trickling down the side of her face.

"Hah... Hah.. Hah.." With winded breaths, I pushed each step forward. The burns grew hotter and hotter as my muscles grind against each other, burning pain into my body with every passing second. Hinata got even more agitated when she saw me stand up again, conflicted even. "Hah.. Hinata... You..." I waste my breath. She didn't react the slightest to my words, my voice. She had shut me out completely. With troubled eyes, the energy began swirling around her hands again as I started moving again.

"Phiew, zing."

"Swoosh!" Even without saying anything, Hinata started shooting another fireball in my direction with no hesitation! Darn it! Again my body screamed, and everything clicked. My legs broke into a dash as my body twisted away from the roaring flames. Huh, there something strange about this particular toss! It's as if it's off by a tiny bit! Stumbling forward from the sudden thrust, I ended up dodging the fireball completely. I look up only to see Hinata primed with two more fireballs, already aiming them right at me. Shutting her eyes again, she resigned herself to her instincts and launched the balls of fire with wild fervor.

I need to get closer, to lock her arms down and get her to listen! Whether she believes me or not, Hinata will need to hear me first!

"Fwuuoo!" The second fireball chewed through the floors like a shark, splitting the concrete apart as it ravaged towards me.

"Hup!" Using the momentum from before, I put all my strength into my legs, jumping over the wave of fire. My body dropped, chest forward to the ground and legs flying up as my body tumbled. With my one free hand, I drove my claw into the concrete floor, supporting the weight of my entire body.

_Throb._

"Gack!" Seared muscles and charred skin pulsed, the scraping pain throbbing from all over. With every wave I couldn't help but yelp out a reaction, my senses fluctuating ever so slightly. Following the pain, my bones would creak and crack from the sheer pressure around me, a sure sign saying that I probably can't be doing this for long!

"Fwoosh!" Like a mortar, the next fireball came crashing. As it flew, the very air around it hissed and burned. Ignoring all the aching, my legs drifted forward as I mustered up all my strength into my right arm. With a single throw, my body flipped over the crashing fire! The first thing I saw, as I landed wobbling on my own two feet, was a close up of Hinata's face. The blank look in her two eyes.

"Ah!" By the time Hinata reacted to me presence, my arms were already around her in a bear hug. My left arm went around her back while my right clamped down on her left shoulder. "L-Let go of me! Let go!" Snapped back to her senses, I felt convulsions running through her body as she broke out into a scream. Her shoulders were trembling so violently I had to tighten my grip just so my arms won't risk getting flailed off! This is it! If she's not gonna listen to me this way, then I don't know any other!

"Yoko! Please, listen to me!" The mention of her name must have calmed her down a bit, as the movements began dying down.

"As I suspected, Lord Amato knew..." In the now quiet scene, only broken by the cackling of mild fires here and there, Kiera's voice spoke out from the back once more. She must have already known way before, when she started digging up info on Yoko.

"What? What the heck are you talking about?" Johann cried out in protest, and in a short glance I saw his eyes focused on me, as confused as they can possibly get. Sergio and Aria had the same look on their faces as well. As everything seemed to simmer down, I loosened the strength in my grip while waiting in anticipation to Kiera's answer. Even then, I could feel Yoko's wild heartbeat beating every second, the faint sound of her sobbing behind my ears.

"Hayashi Yoko. That's her true name." As calm as ever, Kiera recited her answer with her eyes closed, the shield at her side. "Hinata is just her pen name." As her eyelids opened, she continued, with a hint of sympathy in her voice.

"...Stop." Suddenly, Yoko's short mutter pierced through everything else. "...Stop it! Stop saying my name!" Her frustration skyrocket, and her willpower came back surging as her arms started thrashing again.

_Throb._

"Guh!" Lingering pain swelled back up, shooting its way through every part of my body. Before I know it, a faint tremble came into my touch. With it, my senses dulled and my vision blurred. Darn, I can't hold on much longer! "It's just a misunderstanding, Yoko!" Stressed by worry, the words came out yelling. With a slip, I watched as Yoko pulled her right arm free, her face wrecked by torment, confusion and disorientation.

"Phiew, shing." The next moment, her fist reignited in in a ball orange flare!

"You still lied to me! Just like the others, you're still gonna be taking Kujaku away from me!" In a desperate tone, Yoko poured out her reasons as if trying convince herself. The same humming tune shot into my ears and the fireball came crashing down!

"Ack!" Heat ran across the surface of my now opened back, my shirt long seared to a crisp. Like a thousand needles, the pain pierced into my skin and tore at my muscles, leaving its mark in the form of a lingering, gnawing pain. What's worse, the wave of weakness that came after robs me of my strength, my will and my thoughts. Slowly, I felt them being drained away...

"You lied about who you are!" Yoko's voice screamed into the air, her tone wallowing. In her distress, light and sound exploded as another wave of fire was slammed against my spine!

"Gragh!" The pain of fire chewed on my skin and bones, the feeling so jarring it drove waves of shock down my body. To keep myself conscious, I grit down on my teeth and shut my eyes! Still, Yoko trembled in the embrace of my arms. She must have been really scared... Strange, I should be more concerned about my own injuries, but I can't help but care for Yoko's well-being. In silence, I tightened my grip around her. Perhaps venting out her thoughts would help...

"Y-You lied about being my friend!" Giving her all, the air around us seemed to grow that much warmer as she brought up both arms. In an instant, they light up with the same mystical symbols before morphing into raging fireballs! I could only close my eyes and brace myself as they were plunged down upon my shoulders!

"Uragh!" As the fire punctured into my back, splitting skin and flesh, my howl shook the air. My vision faltered violently, slipping into mists of white. Strength all but escaped from my body. In the end, my grip on Yoko became nothing more than a desperate attempt to support myself as my knees gave way. As if noticing the change, Yoko's outrage grind down to a halt, her shoulders still shaking. The only images left in my mind was Yoko's memories, nothing more.

"Hah... Hah.. I didn't lie, Yoko." That's right, I wanted to protect her, that was the truth. The feeling was real. By now, convulsions tore and ravaged the insides of my body, worsening with each throb pain pulsing from the wounds. Arms grasping down on Yoko's body, her warmth overpowered the cold chill spreading all over. I still need to do this! I must! "I'm sorry... I'm sorry for all that's happened to you... It's been hard on you..." In the silence of the ruined office, I forced each word out of my mouth. Emotions clouding my thoughts, the feeling choking on my throat.

Suddenly, a painful grip clamped down on my shoulders, pushing me off and breaking the my hold on Yoko.

"What do you know?!" She screamed, her piercing eyes of disbelief staring right at me only aggravated the feelings crushing down on my heart. She didn't let go of me, though. It's as if she wanted one final look; she wanted to look straight into my eyes... There and then, I saw her face softened before my vision went blur...

"Sob... Sniff... I've seen all you've seen. I've felt all that you've felt..." My eyes got watery as the tears started flowing. The sadness and sorrow overwhelmed me, the trembling so much it wrenches away my breath. "I'm sorry! Your family died because of mine! It's so unfair..." So enthralled by my heart, I couldn't focus on what was happening. All I could think to do, was to voice out the thoughts of regret in my mind. When my eyes blinked and I realize Yoko frozen with indecision, I force my arms to move and wiped away my tears, despite the creaking of bones and the sting over my muscles.

"Ugh... Hayashi Yoko!" Holding back my tears and the clutching feeling in my chest, I called out her name in the most stern voice I could muster. A crimson jewel wrapped by a single metallic wing. Before my eyes, Kujaku's power resonated, the light shining off in all its glory. "I asked that you present the Legacy Arm to me, and you did..." Gritting down on my teeth, my words continued as the out burst of emotions calmed. It became easier to say the words that I've been holding on to in my mind, the decision I made...

"And now, I, the Zanna Decimo, bestows this treasure upon you. All is as it should be." The words got easier as I spoke. Getting these words out of my mouth seemed to rid away all troubles. Before long, I found myself being able to smile again.

"...What?" My actions didn't quite match my objective, so it wasn't so strange when Yoko muttered out her surprise. Behind us, the myriad of voices did the same. I could hear how shocked Sergio and the others were. When the heavy thoughts in the back of my head cleared, so went all the strength I have left. Suddenly, my vision, my body, everything just started falling...

Thud.

Huh? I'm up against something... soft? Confused and disoriented, I shift my eyes and focused my vision, only to realize I'm leaning against Yoko. With neither of us moving, her soft, warm breasts nudges against my face. Gah, It's kind of an obscene sight, but I have little strength to move! The best I could do was turn my flustered but tired face to the sides. Even then, I could hear her intense heartbeat. The previously erratic pounding was slowing down...

"I'm not taking Kujaku away, Yoko." When my pounding heart calmed itself, I began to speak, breaking the awkward silence that had plagued the office. "Obviously, it's much more important to you than any stupid reason I can come up with. And I'm sure my Famiglia can do less with one Legacy Arm..." Slowly, talking became easier, despite the creaking of my jaw and the small ounce of pain that carried with each word and the burning of my lungs.

"Um, no matter what you think, you're still my friend, Yoko..." That particular line took the most effort. I couldn't actually afford another fireball to the face, to be honest. "I know this isn't gonna help much, but how about coming with us back to Italy?" That's right, the stupid duty placed by my Ancestor may be history, but Yoko's family was lost to her. I... I needed to make up for it!

"I promise... I'll never let you get hurt ever again..." With that said, my voice trailed off, and gravity finally pulled me down to the ground. With blurry eyes, I was left staring towards the direction of the elevator. My muscles don't follow my commands anymore. They couldn't budge no matter what I did...

"Sniff.. Sniff..." A soft, gentle whimpering broke off into the air.

"Thud." The sound of something falling to the ground could be heard. I think it came from behind me..

"I-Idiot..." A soft mutter shot into my ears, the tone holding none of the hate. "... Idiot! Idiot! Idiot!" The one word became a chant, sadness pouring out. Suddenly, something wet splashed against my cheeks, followed by a trembling touch nudging against my right arm.

"Idiot! Waaaahhhh! Uuuwwwaaaaahhhh! Waaaaaaaaaaaahhhhh!" Yoko's... crying? It's true, behind my back, away from my eyes, Yoko fell to her knees, bawling her heart out after throwing her little tantrum. In between her cries, her hands continued rocking me on my sides as if doing so would curb her sadness. Lying there on my side, I didn't know how to react. But eventually, I came to the conclusion that perhaps crying was exactly what she needed.

Time passed, and Sergio and the others slipped into sight, relief plastered over their faces. As the threat of danger passed, they huddled closer to our sides.

"Our Boss has extended his hand, Miss Hayashi. We understand how surprising and difficult this can be for you, and so we humbly await your decision..." Kiera's calm voice brought a sense of relief washing into me.

"Wha-You guys still want me? Even after all the pain I've inflicted upon Amato?" Still half-crying, Yoko exclaimed her question in surprise. She sounded baffled; it's as if it was difficult for her to believe everything that's happening.

"Of course, Amato never abandons his friends. And you're still a friend to all of us, Legacy Arm or no." Kiera replied. I could even imagine a smile behind her words, and I couldn't help but smile to myself at the thought. Although... Shouldn't they be helping me up first?

Suddenly, my senses throbbed and then screamed. My vision sharpened and my hearing picked up a jabbing tone and sound. It's the sound of the elevator bell ringing! In the far end of my vision, the red, glaring light zoomed green, and the doors creaked open! Smoke poured out from the inside, and suddenly, I began to hear footsteps. From the shadows came Innocenti and Koenig, their eyes dead focused right at me as they slowly approached us. Verde stood atop Innocenti's left shoulder, and his smile had all but disappeared.

I wanted to scream, to jump up to my feet, but no matter how much my senses screamed, my body was near dead. Bone were close to shattering and muscles were cold and stiff. Darn it, at this rate, Kiera and the others are gonna be in trouble! Move body, move!

"Enemy!" Kiera's sharp, piercing command snapped me back, and before my eyes, Johann and Kiera lunged towards the three of them. With the two being the fastest among us, Johann raised his blade and Kiera primed her shield in an instant. But, Innocenti and Koenig moved even faster than before while Johann and Kiera were slower than usual. The crazed artist smashed away Johann by his throat and the merchant's kick drove through Kiera's stomach! Without a sound, the two were sent flying out of my sight, crashing somewhere behind the rest of us!

"I stopped your heart! How are you even moving?!" Vito screamed in both rage and disbelief, slashing forward with twin daggers before he was struck down as well, Koenig smashing his elbow into his shoulder-plate while Innocenti into his chest, sending him crashing down onto the floor! Vito was left sprawled on the floor, struggling to get up as the three of them got closer and closer!

"Dammit, what are we gonna do?! fight or flight?!" Sergio started screaming out as he moved in front of us, arms pulled up each side. I couldn't blame him for panicking, none of us were expecting this, none of us were prepared!

"Do you want to protect the Famiglia?" Breaking the tension, Dante dragged himself forward, pulling Sergio away from the three monsters to face him.

"What the hell are you talking about-"

"Do you want to protect the Zanna Famiglia, Sergio Endoh?!" Sergio's confusion over the question was cut off immediately by Dante's stern reiteration. From where I laid, I could see his steel gaze. Despite what was happening, Dante was beyond serious. Faced with little choice, Sergio calmed himself.

"Yes, I want to protect the Zanna Famiglia!" His answer became a declaration, his voice growing into a roar. At those words, Dante drew out a pistol and cocked the weapon in swift motion!

"Clink, Clink, Click!" The rain of bullets dropping onto the ground rang into my ears, but the sight that came next took my breath away! From his pockets, Dante whipped out a single bullet, crimson red, and loaded it into the gun. With a single click, he brought it up with precision, aiming it right at Sergio! What the hell?! As with my surprise, Sergio could only stare with his jaws dropped, his eyes drawing a complete blank! Casually, Dante gave out the signal...

"We're moving ahead of schedule."

"Bang!"

* * *

**Yes, I'm finally done with this chapter! I was never good at writing conflict and emotion, so I hope this chapter is understandable and believable to you readers out there! Hopefully, you guys can get a better look at Yoko and her past! But, the danger doesn't stop there, and Dante surprises us all! What's gonna happen next?! Slap me a review on your thoughts if you want, and keep a lookout on my next update to find out!**


	67. Ore Sanjou!

**Author's Note:**

**Hey guys, it's certainly been a while... I'm back from a month's rest! You know you need one when you couldn't remember how your characters are supposed to act! Even more so when this particular chapter is supposed to show much emotion and resolve! Well, after diving into several other stories for inspiration, I'm finally back here typing again. I hope this chapter's a good one...**

* * *

**Chapter 66: Ore Sanjou!**

**Child Of The Sun**

My eyes shut themselves and my head just turned to the sides on reflex as I heard the ear-splitting explosion of gunpowder. When they opened and the annoying throbbing died down, the guy named Sergio fell before my eyes, dropping down eyes open to the ground beside my feet like a dead piece of log. Amato, with his eyes already watery, had already began screaming, quickly scrambling his way up on his feet and darting to his fallen friend's side.

His eyes alternate between his best friend on the ground with a bloody hole on his forehead, and the darkened face of another guy named Dante standing behind me. The slender man with dark-blue hair still wielded that pistol firmly in his hand.

I didn't know what to do. To scream or to cry or even run. But I know I was afraid, because my body was shaking harder than ever before.

"Sergio! Sergio! No!" As if driven mad, Amato began to scream and cry hysterically. With confused eyes, he could only turn to the Dante for answers. "Why, Dante?! Why shoot him?! How the heck does that help?!" The very sight was painful enough, so much that what happened between me and Amato felt little more than a dream.

"Boss, this is the only chance we have..." With a neutral face, Dante looked to the ground as he answered. His eyes covered behind the shadow of his fedora. Through his sullen tone, one can feel regret, no matter how minute.

"Chance?! What chance?!" In anger, Amato could only yell in retort, even more confused and stricken than before. I watched as his hands shiver and tremble as they reached for Sergio's collapsed body, with a nary a clue to what he should do. "What sort of ridiculous chance warrants a bullet through the head of my best friend?!" As his confusion grew, he could only cry out his frustration as his eyes glared on at Dante. Aria could only stay by Sergio's side with a grieving look on her face, her eyes closing out of sadness and sympathy. All the while, her gaze fell to one corner of the room, as if she didn't want to see the sight before her.

Strange, she looked as though she had something to say, but her words were held back...

"That red bullet... hah... I see..." Out of nowhere, a familiar voice caught our attention from a distance away.

"... I know I can't ask you to calm down after what you've seen.. hah.. but... know that Dante speaks only the truth..." Stammering words between her own pained breaths, Kiera paced her steps back to us with Johann slumped at her side, his arm over her shoulders. At her words, Amato only sink into further confusion, gritting down hard on his teeth. Meters away, Kiera continued pushing her way through various debris strewn across my father's office towards us, when suddenly, her eyes shot open!

"Lord Amato, look out! Behind you!"

"Crack."

Our eyes turned immediately at Kiera's call and the sound of breaking stone, to see the enemy standing before Amato! He dons the same white coat from before, now torn and tattered here and there, and stares down Amato with the most spine-chilling glare! We've been foolish. We were so caught up with the shocking sight of Sergio being shot that we've completely neglected the hunters that walked out of the elevator! They seem even more hell-bent on getting their hands on Kujaku than ever!

"Kuh!" Amato could barely react as the man raised his arm, his fingers curled into claws. I saw his prowess before, it was beyond anything I've ever faced. He even survived the explosion I made back at my house! By now I wouldn't be surprised if his arm could rip through flesh and bone! The sight before me only confirms the falsity of my stupid assumptions from before...

How could I have even thought that Amato was working with these bastards?! I shouldn't have believed that absurd lie coming out of that snake!

Then the enemy's arm comes plunging down!

"Thud."

Just like that, everything comes to a grinding halt. Silence filled the room as every pair of eyes turned to the one arm that held back the enemy's attack, and the guy that had already rose to his feet despite the trickle of blood running down his forehead. As he pulled his heavy body up straight, his grip remained firmly latched around the enemy's wrist, much to the artist's chagrin.

"The Dying Will Shot is a bullet of unfathomable power, capable of dragging one's psyche into limbo; a state neither living nor dead..." Kiera was the first to speak, breaking the silence with her almost emotionless tone. What exactly is she talking about? As the question races into mind, my eyes caught movement! Out of nowhere, the other man behind him, with lanky black hair, makes his move, pulling out shotgun barrel and pointing right at Sergio's back!

"Clack."

"Huh!" A myriad of surprised yelps came out from what just happened before our eyes. He reacted as if it was a reflex, twisting and turning before gripping down on the gun barrel with his fingers, and in a swift motion, pushed it away from him. Slowly but steadily, a familiar feeling grazed against my skin, emanating from that one guy.

"Regret pours forth from him, haunting and chewing at the back of his mind, drawing out that which burns within undying..."

Pulsing heat sizzled from where Sergio stands. His eyes to the ground, we watched as the energy grew, and what little blood on his skin evaporate. Even the two hunters looked distressed, their eyes falling on the arms that remained trapped. I thought they would've freed themselves by now, but hearing the creaking of bones made me think otherwise.

"If desire proves strong, strong enough to ignore even death itself, a miracle will occur..."

...It's not that they didn't want to free themselves, it's that they couldn't break free no matter what they did!

"He will be reborn."

"RE-" From the silence that drowned the room, Sergio's faint voice caught all of our attention.

"Get out of our way!" The man with the tattered white cloak, the one known as Innocenti, roared out in response. Frustrated and stricken with disbelief, his other arm went right for Sergio's stomach in a forceful jab of strength and motion. At the same time, From Sergio's side, the other hunter, Koenig the Merchant, had a glint of light in his eyes. Following his sight, the shotgun barrel was now pointed at us!

He's gonna shoot us!

"-BORN!"

That's when I saw it, motion and combat unlike anything I've ever seen! Moving even faster than Amato just minutes before, with massive strength Sergio tugged on the Innocenti's arm and smashed his incoming attack into the ground. Following the momentum, Innocenti's body just plunged, breaking debris and concrete alike as cracks bursts forth! At the same time, his other arm pulled the barrel forward, dragging Koenig towards him before he twisted the gun to the ceiling, and slammed his shoulder at the merchant, all as he screamed.

"I HAVE ARRIVED!" Waves of energy pulsed from Sergio at his every word, his yell bursting out! Between his two eyes tinted orange borne a massive orange flame, roaring forth as it exploded from his forehead.

"Whoa!" Johann suddenly yelled out in pure excitement, with an awe-stricken look on his face, coupled with a huge smile. Huh, I didn't actually catch the guy waking up at all. At his words, I wondered if Sergio's state is anything we should even be happy about...

"What's with that flame...?" His eyes still filled with concern, Amato watched on as he got up on his feet. Only when he extended his hand did I realize I was still stunned sitting on the floor of the ruined office, and got up on my feet with his assistance.

"The fabled power of the Vongola..." As I turned my eyes back to observe Sergio and his massive boost in capabilities, Kiera continued her explanation, reciting a name no stranger to me. In fact, it's the very name of the Famiglia my old Sensei belongs to...

"The Dying Will Mode."

A few feet before us, Sergio was locked in combat with Koenig and Innocenti, moving with strength and speed to counter every effort either one of the two made to get closer to us. In his plan to trip Sergio, Innocenti quickly recovered, clawing his way free from the stone and sand, and kicked for Sergio's shin. At the same time, Koenig pulled out a pistol, and pointed it towards the guy, jabbing it right at his temple. The next second came, and Sergio was already in the air, having leaped a good meter upwards.

"Hragh!" His hands now free, Sergio went off screaming as his one hand ripped down on Innocenti's neck and a sharp kick to Koenig's wrist sent the pistol flying across the room! With a monstrous tug, Sergio threw Innocenti to the ground, grinding his chest across the broken, debris-ridden floor with little effort. Then, another arm crashed against Koenig so quickly he could barely react, crossing his two arms to block!

Alas, pure strength sent him stumbling back, crashing down on his back!

"Guh!"

"Argh!"

As unbelievable as it was, the whole lot of us heard the screams rang across the night, as if they were struck by deep pain!

The fight rages on, so intense that none of us were in any shape to even provide support for Sergio. The two hunters were inhuman, getting back up as soon as they were down, despite their many cries. I watched as their limb were destroyed, and yet they still seem to move, their actions never faltering...

"Gragh!" As Sergio drove his fists into Innocenti's stomach, a single massive punch drove his face into the ground, tiny shots of blood shooting from the artist's many wounds and scratches. The poor guy screamed at the top of his voice. And yet, Koenig leaped behind Sergio, and got him into an arm-lock! Pulling his half-dead body up, Innocenti pulled out his chisels with the eyes of a demon.

"Ngh!"

With a slight tremble to his touch, he forcibly drove the thick pieces of metal through Sergio's joints! Through his elbows, his shoulders, his knees and even his hands and feet! The care for elegance from before was long gone!

"Sergio!" At the sight, Amato cried out in utter desperation, his pupils shrinking in fear. The others just watched on in dreadful silence, even Johann's enthusiasm quickly went away. No doubt the sight of his best friend's body ravaged like this is no easy sight. The bloody scene was so horrifying I could barely keep my own eyes open. Empathy drove me to move my hands to my elbows, caressing it to make sure it's still okay.

"Grr..."

Even as restrained as he is, he doesn't seem to feel pain. Sergio's eyes remained locked towards the two enemies before him, gritting down hard on his teeth. Even with his wounds convulsing and blood splattering out by the intervals, I watched on as his strength seemed to overpower Koenig's, slowly pulling himself free from the lock and grapple!

"Get your filthy hands off of me!" With that one roar, the flame burned ever-brighter, and Sergio tore himself from the hold. As soon as he did, his muscles and bone grind against metal as he moved his arms and legs, ripping the chisels out and tossing them aside!

"Hey, you mind if I take a look? At your injuries?" Suddenly, I'm pulled out of the fight by a tap on my shoulder. Vito appeared at my side with all manners of pills, creams, linen and gauze, all pulled out of his own pockets. He offered me relief and yet...

"...No, thank you."

"...I'm fine." The words felt as though they spilling out of my mouth. Immediately after answering, a small hint of regret came upon me. Why am I lying like this? My body hurts all over, aching with every move. It would have been nice to get some help! Too late, the next moment came and Vito's already turning back at Amato and Kiera, his arms giving off the signal. He must have fixed up the other guys before me. Despite their looks, they must have been really messed up.

They must have gotten injured tonight, while trying to help me... And yet, I only made it difficult for them... for Amato...

"All right, Vito's done, it's time to move!" As she finished, Kiera gave out the orders. At her behest, everyone started moving, shimmying our way through the sides and towards the open elevator. Of course, it wouldn't be wise to stay at the top floor of this decrepit husk of a building with these three fighting like this.

"But, doesn't those wounds hurt? He's bleeding everywhere!" As we scurried along, Amato screamed out the question as he watched. Sergio, bloodied all over, had his chains wrapped around his arms. With his movements going sluggish, he nonetheless wrecked the scene, smashing his way head first into Innocenti and Koenig whenever they tried to turn their attention to us.

"They don't. Right now, his body limiters are turned off. External forces can do little to damage his body, that's why he's having this burst of strength and speed right now." Kiera continued without turning back at Amato, her eyes quickly shifting between the fight and the elevator. Even as she briskly paced her way by our side, I'm kinda astonished to see her carrying her giant shield with little to no effort. The very same shield that slammed the ground with an ear-piercing 'thunk' when it flew out of her hands just a minute ago.

"How well that ability works, however, will ultimately depend on his will." Kiera finished her words with a sentence that seemed to calm Amato down, as his eyes no longer showed the amount of tension from before.

With Kiera's explanation still fresh in mind, I couldn't help but stare at Sergio and the fight with every step. Koenig tried to tear at his arms, twisting his right arm back with a mind-numbing crack, and yet, Sergio disregarded what happened to him almost entirely. Without even a single flinch, he retaliated with a savage headbutt! Despair slowly inching their way into his eyes, Innocenti gave Sergio a sharp kick to his shin, and as his balance wavered, pummeled him into the ground with a barrage of punches!

"Argh!" With another piercing howl, Sergio broke his way free, his body now riddled with wounds of every kind. Muscles looked as though they were mangled here and there, and many white splinters pierced their way through his skin. But, despite his heavy breathing and slight tremble, his overwhelming strength never seemed to die down...

Is all of this coming from sheer will alone? After winning over death itself, is mere injuries no more than nuances to him now?

"I'm afraid I can't let you all leave, not like this." Another voice came to our attention as we finally reached the elevator. The voice of another baby. There's no doubt about it, it's an Arcobaleno! His tiny white coat drapes over his shoulders, his glasses shining in the night. His green hair lingered at the side of the elevator doors...

"Uncle Verde, please, stop this! Ask your friends to stop fighting!" The first one to speak was Aria, her voice breaking into a yell. Strange, such familiarity, does she know Verde from even before this event happened? Are they friends maybe?

"No, Aria, that's not possible!" With blood dripping from the wound on his forehead, Verde calmly denied Aria. Behind the glass, his steel eyes lacked no resolve, none whatsoever. "Hah... Hah... Luce told you this, didn't she?" From behind all of them, I watched on, slightly disoriented from everything that's happening. "Hah..We might be bound by the curse, but each one of us walks a different path..." Despite his body trembling, showing signs of weakness and pain, he continued behind bated breaths.

"Right now... Hah... this is as much my duty... Hah.. as well as my reprieve."

"Cut to the chase, are you going to stand in our way?!" Out of nowhere, Kiera appeared in front of our group with her shield in hand, primed and ready. "Are you going to stop us?!" Again, she roars, now no longer bearing the same temperance from before, losing her self to frustration and desperation. Amato and the others only gazed upon her with the light of concern, and worry.

I only kept my silence, a horrid feeling choking me by my throat. Was it anxiety or confusion? I can't really tell...

The green-haired Arcobaleno only gripped his tiny fingers into tremblings fists. His eyes fading while he stared right at us, he would only shut them tight before his eyelids shot open again. That was when he gave his response...

"...I have no means to stop you."

With that said, there was nothing stopping us as we rushed past the elevator doors. The lightning Arcobaleno only shuffled his way forward towards the fight between Sergio, Koenig and Innocenti. The whole thing had only lasted a few minutes, but in the distance of the office, near the large, shattered windows overlooking the city, Sergio was still fighting, overpowering his opponents! Inside the elevator itself, I watched on as Sergio tore and smashed at his opponents, the clinking of his chains rattling on and on. A second later, Verde stopped in his steps...

"Koenig! Innocenti! The target is slipping from our grasp! The Enlightened Ones will know! Failure will not be tolerated!" Suddenly, Verde burst out screaming, throwing his right arm to the sides. Within his voice came fear. It sounded no different than begging right now.

"Sergio, come on! Get over here!" Amato cried out from behind me, using his hands to project his voice.

"No, something's wrong with the elevator!" Johann's voice snapped me back, and I found myself panicking amidst the fighting and the stress. Dante was the first to react, immediately dragging his way towards the control panel. Pulling out a mini-screwdriver, he began picking the buttons apart!

"He re-routed the circuits. Just give me a few seconds!" And with that, Dante went to work. His hands moved so quickly I could barely follow, ripping and tying the wires here and there.

"Gargh!"

Suddenly, we just stopped, and jerked our head towards the sound of Sergio's scream. There, at the very same spot, Koenig pulled out a giant hammer out of nowhere! Innocenti, despite all his wounds, grit down on his teeth and nailed Sergio's feet to the ground, puncturing each foot with five separate chisels!

"Skletch! Skritch! Skletch!" Unlike before, Innocenti's sudden jabs were so fast Sergio could barely dodge it like before, and those he missed chewed through the concrete floor! Even from where we stood, the desperation in their eyes were obvious.

"Gugh! Grr..." Hungry for payback and driven by instinct, the pain could barely serve as distraction before Sergio turned his attention back towards his enemies. However, Koenig was already in mid-swing of his gigantic hammer! In horror, we watched as it collided right into Sergio's face! From where we stood, we couldn't hear the attack, but we could see it all. With a snap, Sergio's whole body was thrown off to the sides. Following his partner's onslaught, Innocenti shot Sergio an elbow, driving it through his throat!

"No, he's actually losing!" For some reason, the words came popping out even before they came into mind, breaking the silence I've held for minutes now. I don't believe it! The two of them are actually turning the tables!

"Argh!"

"Crash!"

With a scream, Sergio was pounded into the ground with the weight of that hammer driving down his back! As he tried to resist with his arms and legs, Innocenti would ravage them with his chisels, tearing at the joint and muscles! Piles of dust was wrought into the air, and soon we lost sight of them within the misty clouds. Seconds later, they would clear only to show Sergio gritting down on his teeth stained with blood! Every moment the hammer was lifted was so Koenig would drive it into Sergio's spine again and again, each time louder than before!

"No! He needs help! Obviously, he can't fend off the two of them alone-Guh!" Amato literally jumped, his hands reaching for his pistol again before suddenly falling to one knee, clutching down on his sides!

"Amato!" I surprised myself by being the first one to scream, and then rushing to him. It must have been guilt driving me. After all, I did hurt him just minutes ago, tried to burn him into ashes. However, Amato felt no pain at all. He cried and trembled, his body convulsed here and there, but his eyes remained unfazed. Their light remained pinned on the safety of his best friend. Nothing else must have mattered.

Slightly shaken, Johann looked confused and even afraid as he reached for the hilt of his blade, until Kiera threw her arm and blocked the elevator entrance, putting everything to a halt!

"Wait, with your state right now, you'll only serve to distract him from the fight!" Kiera cried out, losing the calm between her words. She must be referring to Johann's injuries. Did... Did Johann suffered those injuries trying to get to me as well? Looking at the guy, he doesn't look so good. That got Kiera slightly panicking...

"They say the Dying Will Mode draws fuel from will itself; the stronger your resolve, the more invincible you become..." As she continued, her voice hushed as if reminding herself, she brought her gigantic shield to the elevator floor.

"Thunk."

"And Sergio has the strongest will I know." Suddenly, Amato's frantic behavior all but vanished as he stopped by Kiera's side, his eyes now carefully watching towards the fight. Towards where Sergio was getting drilled into the floor as rubble and debris was smashed and tossed all around.

"Sergio!" Out of his own pained voice came a scream that sounded louder than anything else. Putting his hands to his mouth and projecting his voice, Amato began calling out to his best friend. "S-Sergio, come on! You're not gonna give up here, are you?" Screaming out, I could hear Amato straightening his own trembling voice, to give Sergio the support he desperately needed. It was... unbelievably touching to see their friendship so strong, the trust between them so solid!

"You're stronger than this, Sergio! I know you are!"

"Greenhorn!" To my surprise, even those at our backs, usually watching in silence, began yelling out at the top of their voice. "At first I thought you were capable, but I guess it's looking quite the opposite!" Vito, in his own way of words, called out to our only friend fighting out there. "If I'm wrong, then prove it to me!" At first I thought he was just bashing Sergio with insults, but the approach hit me as another way to convey his message and feelings!

"Show me I'm wrong by winning this!"

"Yeah, Sergio, I think everyone's gonna miss you if you fall here and now!" Johann's words came next, carrying with them his own sense and style. "We're still so young! We still have lots of stuff we're gonna do together, right?!"

"I've seen it all, Sergio!" Aria yelled out after that, despite the obvious exhaustion that had overtaken her body. "Now's not your time to go! So win this and come back to us! We're going back home together!"

"Sergio!" And then came my turn, as the words came blurting out without much thought. "I know we haven't talked much... but.. please do your best and win this! I don't want to see anyone left behind or any tears falling!" That's right, even if we're not that close, I would be sad if Amato and the rest of them were sad. Of that I can be certain.

"Hey kid!" A deep, sullen voiced boomed for the from Dante as his hands flicked and tempered with the many wires in the control panel. Even without turning his eyes on the fight, he spoke with an assured smile on his face.

"Stop fooling around, and win in the name of the Zanna Famiglia!"

Right there in the distance, by the windows, Koenig and Innocenti were still smashing down on Sergio's back. With the flame flickering, I wondered if he actually heard any of our words. His chains would rattle as he struggled, his elbows and knees on the ground, throbbing with every strike of that gigantic hammer. While the two enemies had their eyes pinned on Sergio, deathly focused, out of the rubble came Sergio's face. His teeth gritting down as his eyes seemed to turn to us...

"Everyone's spoken, and I have little to add..." As Kiera wrapped it up, I turned to see her eyes no longer fearful and worried like before. The sea of deep, hazel brown is now in deep tranquil. "I only have one question, Sergio." She declared, before a small smile of confidence stretched across her face. "Your promise, to achieve the seat of the 'Right Hand' and protect your best friend, as well as the rest of the Zanna Famiglia..."

"Can you keep it?"

From the quakes came a moment of silence, as Koenig and Innocenti stopped when Sergio stopped resisting, his body laid onto the ground. The burning fire seemed to waver and flicker, fading in and out as it diminished by the seconds. Until finally, it disappeared together with the tint in his eyes.

...

"YES I CAN!"

Sergio's screamed rocked the night, literally sending pounding waves of energy and heat shooting out from where he stood. Chains cutting through the air, he wrenched his body free as he screamed, his pupils tinted orange once more as the Dying Will Flame lunged into the air in a massive surge! The enemies, distracted by the explosive burst of speed and power, were tossed to the sides like rag-dolls, slamming hard against the ruined floor, smashing into the tiles!

"Yeah, go Sergio!" Turning to the sides, I saw Amato pulling down his arm in cheers, and the rest of his 'famiglia' doing the same. Each and every one of them relieved at the sight of Sergio's reversal.

"Vroo! Ding!"

"Got it, power's back on! I got the elevator working again!"

"What?! That's impossible!" Verde cried out in shock as his eyes jerked back at us, trailing towards Dante. He looked as though no one was supposed to undo what he did. With those few words, Dante got everyone of us back into the rush, quickly slamming down on the buttons. As the lights flickered and the doors started moving, Amato rushed in front of me, just an inch before he's out at the other side!

"No, what about Sergio?! We can't leave him behind like this!" His arms shot outwards and flailed all over before Kiera and Johann held them down and pulled them back.

"Lord Amato, you're mistaken! As of right now, he's more than capable of taking them on! We'll be better off securing the Legacy Arm and getting the rest of us to safety!" As they dragged Amato back into the elevator, Kiera gave out her reasons. Although they're sound, and most definitely the smartest thing to do right now, I don't think it's that simple abandoning a friend.

"But-"

"It's okay! Go!" Amato's reluctance was shot down by Sergio meters away, as he drove his fist into Koenig before turning towards Innocenti and snaring him with his chains, stopping the man in white robes from closing in on us. With a sharp pull, Sergio began dragging him back. "I promise I'll catch up later!" In between the rampage, Sergio screamed his voice hoarse.

As Amato got distracted, the panels of the grand elevator slowly came to a close.

* * *

"Doom!"

"Whoa!" Within elevator itself came a dozen quakes accompanied by a series of cries in surprise and reaction. Sand, stone and dust flew up everywhere as we descended towards ground level. The vigorous rumbling came in intervals, each time more frequent than before. The sound was so loud it felt as though the whole building was coming down. Curses, why did I ran here in the first place?! Within a few more jerks, the glass shattered and the lights burst, sparks shooting forth everywhere!

"No, this place really is coming down..." At the thought, I couldn't help but mutter out the words. With no more lights except for that one flickering red button, the inside of the elevator became tinted red in my sight, as everyone jumped to the sides for support.

"Crack."

The very elevator we stood in seemed to be pelted from all sides, the dreaded clacking ringing ceaselessly. In seconds we found ourselves gasping for air while being drowned in piles and piles of sand and dust! And then, we were literally thrown to the walls!

"Argh!" Amato, Aria, Johann and myself screamed as we found ourselves slamming against the inner walls of the prime elevator of this building. Pain began to wound my body all over, from the nape of my neck to the base of my spine. Slow, weakening pain that seemed to inch further and spread from the areas, like ants spreading from their nest. Everything's heating up! It's not fire, so I can't stop it! Before I know it I began to sweat bullets, the droplets falling down the side of my cheeks.

"_Argh!"_

_The screams ran through the night, amidst roaring flames and the primal desire to devour and consume..._

No, the heat is bringing them back! The images are appearing, the sounds are ringing through my ears! Why, of all times why now?!

"Click."

With a single sound, I looked amidst the darkness to find everyone confused, and other than the rain of sand and stone still pelting from all sides, the insane rocking seemed to have come to a sharp halt. In the shadow I looked to the others for answer only to find the same gaze falling back at me. What's happening? Why did the elevator stop? Does this mean we're stuck?! As my tremble calmed, the strength to walk finally returned, and before I know it, I began pacing my way back towards Amato and the others-

"Thunk!"

"Kkkyyyaaahhh!"

The next thing I know I was screaming my lungs out! Inertia and gravity took their turns mashing and ripping my insides, and I felt my heart choke on itself as the elevator went plummeting down in a wild, free fall! As I started floating upwards, I found my hands clawing all around me by reflex! Any form of support would have been fine, preferably something solid to hold on to! As my fingers finally closed themselves around one of the railings within the elevator, my gaze fell all around me with wincing eyes.

Everyone's screaming! We're gonna get pulverized smashing head-first into the very earth itself! I can feel it, the overwhelming feeling of nausea slowly tearing away at my insides! My bones are going to be shattered once we stop falling! No, isn't there something I can do? Isn't there anything at all?!

No!

As my vision flickered and wavered in shock, it felt as though everything was slowing down, my body slowly sinking downwards...

"Clank!"

In fading shadows I was awakened by the sound of striking, metal clashing against metal. As the lingering shivers left the edge of my skin, my eyes opened to a terrible scene. Everyone else was thrown at all sides, unmoving, amidst the ray of crimson light and the frequent bursts of sparks. My eyes were failing me, going in and out of the darkness, as the whole of my body was swallowed by unimaginable heat. The trapped gas must be accumulating, the oxygen dying down as carbon dioxide filled the inside of this elevator...

And then suddenly, movement! Followed by the shifting of shadows! As light panned and seeped, Kiera came into sight. As sweat poured from her fringe and her breaths went rogue, she pulled back her shield and shot it at the wall!

"Thunk!"

"Crack!"

* * *

"...ko!"

"Yoko, wake up, please!"

Waking at the sound of his voice, I found myself embraced, my body cuddled between a pair of warm, caring arms.. A pair of gleaming blue eyes looked right at me with concern, so much that they looked as though the person was gonna cry at any one moment! Only when the numbness fled from my touch did I realize who was it that was holding me..

"...Ngh, I'm fine, Amato." Now, instead of the heat from before, my body's heating up on its own. "...Thanks." Although I gave him my gratitude, my arms moved and pushed him him away. As my new friend was left confused, more dust and rubble fell from above. That's when I realized that everything was still crumbling! In the dark lobby, the very walls were coming down even as I pulled my steps forward! Seconds later, huge chunks of debris began to fall all around us!

"Crack."

"Uh.. guys? I think we really need to move.. Like right now!" Johann's cry out was only further emphasized by the giant piece of concrete the size of a television smashing at his back as he took a step forward!

"Head for the exit! Move, move, move!" From my back and the closest on to the elevator, Amato screamed at the top of his voice, his hands pointing towards the main doors past the walls! As metal and stone started crashing down around us, the cool air started heating up again! With no time to lose, I began kicking my way through the piles of debris broken all around me. I'll do anything to escape the dreaded heat! I don't... want to remember what happened!

"Doom! Doom! Thunk!" In the chaotic torrent of motion, a series of crashes sounded off from way above us, smashing its way towards the ground floor!

"Crash!"

"Whoa!" The heavy impact went off as shock-waves, blowing dust and stones and even some of the debris away from way behind us! As I turned, I saw nothing but jet-black smoke spreading from where the crashed elevator unit used to be! In ashen clouds and misty shadows amidst the faint hint of light around us, I saw silhouettes of figures by off-chance. The next second came, and the figures, one donning that tattered, almost destroyed coat of white, and another in his black attire, stained and bloody all over, paced their way out...

"No, the hunters!" At the sight of the two that tried to take my life for about a week now, I couldn't help but utter a comment. And then, my legs were wrecked by indecision. I'm afraid to face the two of them again, especially that guy named Innocenti but what about Sergio? If the two of them still walks, does that mean Sergio lost?! Is he buried within the pile of stone and ash? Is... Is he...?

"Give us the energy source!" Suddenly, Verde came screaming out of nowhere, seated upon Innocenti's shoulders. Together the two of them are but a meter before me now!

"I won't let you lay a finger on her!" As the place continued capsizing, Amato jumped in front of me, blocking the visage of the white-robed hunter. As he yelled, the feeling of uselessness came over me when I saw him reaching for his pistol again. Why can't I take care of myself? I don't want to implicate Amato! I don't want to see him hurt because of me!

In my despair, Kujaku started glowing again. Its light, in deep crimson red, illuminated all around me, driving away the shadows.

"Shink!"

As the hunters were but an inch away from Amato, however, silver chains lunged out from the clouds of smoke and dust! Like snakes they wrangled and twisted themselves around Koenig and Innocenti as they dropped from their flight! As the smoke finally cleared, I saw the orange flame still burning, pulsing with strength at intervals. Sergio stomped his way forth, broken bones now splintered and tearing through numerous parts of his body, way worse than before! In both horror and disbelief, I watched as the wounds were already closing on their own at an unbelievably enhanced rate!

"Hah.. Hah.. Hah.." Out of breath, Sergio stopped dead in his tracks with his head hanging from his neck, his eyes covered by shadows. Has he lost consciousness?

"Hragh!" Apparently not, as with but one roar he ripped Koenig and Innocenti from where they stood! Chain slinking with every tug, Sergio dragged their body around in a massive burst of strength, sending the two flying right into the meter thick pillars around the lobby!

But, the distraught I got from the sight of the enemies smashing into the stone was only worsened by the fact that they no longer made a sound. No cries of pain, no signs of damage. It doesn't feel human and it doesn't feel natural at all...

All they did, as Sergio sent them flying out the glassless windows, was pin their sights on me, and Kujaku...

"Sergio!" Amato's cry snapped me back, and the next thing I know I was making a dash towards Sergio as the flame finally died down. The wounds he had before are now no more than mere cuts, skin deep and all! After that, strength seemed to disappear from the guy almost entirely, as he sprawled on the ground, his body wrecked by what looked like a severe case of shock.

"Is he gonna be okay?" I popped out the question as I went forward and helped him up by the shoulders, with Amato at the side. As we turned to the door, Kiera and the rest had turned tail back to us. By now, the very foundation of the building was smashed, and whole levels had started breaking down!

"He's suffering the backlash of stress and strain from the Dying Will Mode! We need to get him out of here, stat!" At Vito's command, Dante, Johann and Amato carefully propped Sergio up with their hands, and we began making our way towards the exit posthaste! Even then, the risk of getting crushed by huge piles of concrete was drawing ever closer. My senses dulled as I followed at the back, dust choking my every breath, and all the sweat drenching my blouse and skirt while cracks splintered across every corner...

Crack.

_Ba-dump._

I fell. My joints locking up, beckoned a sharp jolt of pain springing from my legs. My eyes gazed upwards with wavering vision, and the sight only drove hopelessness into me, pushing me into despair. I'm but a few steps away from the door! Paralyzed, I was forced to watch my friends leave, their backs shrinking into the distance. Vito and the other were occupied with Sergio, so they didn't have eyes at their back. Crying out, I heard none of my voice, no sound at all, just a very heavy throbbing filling my ears...

No... Stupid... Why must I fall here? I don't want to die! It didn't hurt before, so why must this injury act up now?!

_Ba-dump._

"_Hey, you mind if I take a look? At your injuries?"_

"_...No, thank you." _

"_...I'm fine."_

I don't believe it! It's my fault... It's all my own.. Amato's friend tried to help, offered me aid. Why can't I just accept the goodwill of others?! Why do I always seem to envision daggers behind their back?! As my mind berated me with insults, I watched as whole pillars toppled, and massive chunks of concrete crashed smashed against the floor, crushing everything underneath! Driven by fear and instinct, I forced my limbs, wrecked with convulsions, to stand and to move!

Crack.

My hearing returned to me right at the moment to hear the crack of my own body, followed by another wave of pain that crunched down on my body. Instead of getting up on my feet, I only felt gravity pulling me down further, knees and elbows now the only thing holding my body up! Annoyed by my inability, I pushed my eyes up in frustration!

Move!

And that's when I saw the crumbling of metal and stone, right above my being!

"No... Amato..." In a vain attempt to deny what was happening before me, the reality of my inevitable demise, I shut my eyes closed. In the darkness, I wished for salvation as I called out the name of the one guy that popped into my mind...

The crash however, never came. There was no pain, no extreme pressure breaking the bones of my back. Soon, seconds passed and I realized I was still alive, with my eyes closed. As happy as I was, the contradiction to everything was staggering. Only when the pain left did I actually opened my eyes. All around me, everything was still falling... So why am I unharmed?

"Clack."

Suddenly, a pebble fell at my side, shooting off a sharp snap, immediately catching my attention. Huh, it's not throbbing! It... really doesn't hurt anymore! Following the thought, my eyes traced the stone from where it fell. And that led me to the one person standing at my back, his arms and shoulders weighted down by debris close to the size of an office desk. The mere glance of it sent me shivering...

_Ba-dump._

"...G-great, Hah.. You're okay.." Even as the great weight crushes down on him, Amato looked to me with eyes of relief. Stunned, I just sat there as the choking feeling slowly wrapped around my throat. Amato stood with arms cupped on his head, his eyes looking down at me as the metal and stone were piled on his back! Without his weapon, he was trembling bad, the sign of someone pushing on his own limits.

"W-what are you doing?!" The absurdity of the situation drove me mad, and I started screaming. No, no! The situation went from bad to worse! Much, much worse! I don't want to see someone else hurt because of me! Too many had already died so that I could live...

"No time.. Yoko. Hah.. The door's still standing... please, make your way out now!" Bearing the weight the best he can, I couldn't believe he still had my safety in priority. All the confusion did was plant anger and guilt in my mind.

"No... Amato..." I couldn't even face him. I couldn't bear to see him like that. Every time I did, the thoughts would come rushing in. Ominous thoughts of him getting crushed, or that his bones would crack under the pressure. It's just like that time, when Mom and Dad died, only this time.. it's.. my fault. "How can you be so selfish...?" It was a stupid, stupid thing to say. And I knew that from the sight of Amato confused at my words.

"..."

Amato didn't say anything though. He didn't even said something in his defense, to disagree. It's as if he was conflicted.

"You still have your friends, your family. Back home, you have people that look up to you... you even have people you need to protect, being the boss of your 'famiglia'." That's right. He's so much more needed than I am. He has people that loves him, and they wouldn't want to see him hurt, or worse!

"Compared to you, I'm nothing..." Wallowing in my self-bombardment, my thoughts only seemed to spiral further and further down into depression. "If you died, your friends are gonna cry, those people are gonna miss you..." No matter what, I just kept getting myself more and more convinced that it would have been better if Amato didn't come.

"But if I died... Nobody would miss a single thing..."

"Stop it! Enough! That's not true!" Suddenly I was shot by a scream, and I looked up to see Amato's blue eyes watering despite his brows furrowed in anger and frustration. "If.. If you died, I would be crying! I-I would have missed you! You were forced to give up a lot of things because of.. because of my family, and I just want to makes things right for you! So you can't die!" As he screamed, the chunks of rocks on his back seemed to press down on him. By now he's already lifting a pile twice his size!

"Gack!" In a fit, I watched as sudden pressure crushes him further, and from his mouth came a cough of blood!

I don't believe it, even when in horrible pain, under risk of getting his bones and muscles crushed, he still cares about me and not himself?! Can anyone really be this selfless?!

"..Hah.. Hah.. Don't worry, Yoko. I'm fine." Even as his breath became more and more ragged, Amato still forced a smile on his face as he said those words. "Once you get out of here, I'll... I'll go into my Awakening and force the debris out of my way!"

"I'm not gonna die, Yoko... I promise you that. Now go!"

Amato...

Emotions welled up within my heart when I heard those words, and something clicked. I felt like crying and scolding him for his foolishness, but I found a smile stretched across my face. Without a second thought I reached for Kujaku, detaching the chain off my neck. With shaking hands, I... placed upon Amato's neck, much to his surprise. The light dimmed almost immediately as the jewel left my touch, a faint light now replacing the proud shimmer from before...

"Amato... I'll be waiting for Kujaku back!" Wiping my eyes, I gave the declaration as I stopped by the door and turned back at him one last time. When I saw his smile and nod, a part of me no longer held any doubt, and I pushed my way through the broken and out into the chilling air of the winter night.

"Crash!"

As soon as I did, however, a massive pile came crashing down. The whole of the second floor gave way! Jumped by the sound, I turned only to see the door no longer there. In fact, the ground floor was all but swallowed in a mountain of sand, metal and rock! And Amato... He's gone! I watched as piercing debris shredded and plunged right at where he stood, sparking flying everywhere! In the split second, all my fears came rushing back, and the light of hope vanished.

"Amato!"

In the end I couldn't but scream out his name into the blackened skies...

* * *

**With what seemed like a victory only ended with the boss of the Zanna Famiglia now buried alive! What's gonna happen now? And how would Kiera and the others react to all of this?! Things look bleak as the climax draws its curtains, keep your eyes out for the next chapter for its final conclusion!**


	68. From Ashes

**Author's Note:**

**Things are looking grim... Truth be told, of all the story events I had planned, this one remained the most vague. Maybe its because it's gotta deal with loss in the for Amato, or maybe its because the revelation must be done right, otherwise the desired effect might be lost forever. Sigh.. Details, details...**

* * *

**Chapter 67: From Ashes**

**Inner Feelings.**

We just had a stroke of luck, or maybe it was determined by the wheel of fate. All of us managed to scramble our way out of the creeping abyss that was the old husk of a building. With Dante, Johann and Vito I carried Sergio's convulsing body as fast as I could, with my shield weighing on the other hand. Only when we managed to go a bit of a distance away from the crumbling building did we finally lowered him down to the ground. As Mister Endoh's breathing slowly stabilized, the thought of the mission lingered back into mind...

"Doom! Crack!"

In the chilling wind outside, the sound of concrete smashing and breaking struck me. Instantly, the idea came into mind. The building's going to hell, here and now! In an effort to scout the perimeter around us, I turn towards the roar of steel...

"Amato!"

However, we all heard the voice screaming into the night as the quakes come to an end.

No!

My body moved before I knew it, ignoring all the pain, the throbbing that came with every step. Almost stumbling, I kicked down hard on the asphalt road as I ran. All the while, my mind was wrecked in a torrent of chaos. Amato? Did something happen to him? No, he was all right when I last saw him, I made sure of it before paving the way out the building.. So..! As the smoke and dust cleared, my heart sank when my eyes caught sight of Yoko falling on her knees.

Her back turned to me, all I could catch sight of was her shoulders shaking. Amato's nowhere in sight, and Yoko had her eyes pinned towards the pile of metal and stone that used to be the entrance to the building. I don't need to be a genius to piece together what happened. Moments later, I start to hear faint sobbing coming from the girl...

"Thunk!"

My heavy shield fell flat on the ground. I didn't even notice my grip slipping. For the first time in years I felt myself trembling so hard it's as if I'm losing control of my body. Reflex drives me to grit down on my teeth as my steps shuffled towards Yoko. A million thoughts burst through my mind, but none made it out as words. All I could focus on was Yoko and the pile of debris a few feet in front of her.

_Badump._

How did this happen? It was supposed to be a simple search and retrieve mission, even if it meant coming all the way to Japan! Amato wasn't supposed to be in any form of danger! How could I have allowed this to happen?! Obstacles kept popping up, one after the other, complicating things! And in the end it led us to this one girl now sitting here before my eyes. So she survived instead of Amato? She sitting here while... while Amato's in there...crushed, broken and bleeding!

Hayashi Yoko, this is all your fault. If you didn't lead us all the way into this ruin of a building, Amato wouldn't have had any chance of being crushed at all!

As my steps stopped at Yoko's side, all I could feel was contempt. All I could think of was blaming her. But, with my trembling fists clenched tight, my body pushed towards the pile of debris instead. Falling on my knees, fire ran through my fingers as they started digging through the metal and stone. Just this once, I allow myself to give in to blind faith and the flicker of hope, as warm tears started blurring my vision.

Amato may still be alive!

"Sniff.. Amato.. What about your promise? You said you'd be right behind me... Sniff.." Yoko's words started echoing through my ears, their tone filled with guilt and regret. As my hands continued digging, tossing the whatever chunks of rock and stone I could manage aside, her incessant crying proved a mighty distraction. What happened to her steely disposition before? The very fact that she's breaking down like this fills me with frustration!

_Badump._

"Please shut up, Miss Yoko! Amato's not dead yet! Stop grieving and start digging or god help me I will have you pay for what's happened to the Boss of the Zanna Famiglia!" As soon as I turned towards her I start screaming. What was initially the plan to comfort her turned into an unsightly lecture, with me venting out the poisonous thoughts I had in mind. When I realized what's happening, I could only bite down on my lips as Yoko's brow furrowed in disbelief.

With shaking steps, she wiped away her tears and dropped beside me, her hands reaching out towards the rubble. But, the piles seemed unending, one rock atop another, and soon my fingers twitched at the many cuts formed with every grip...

"Johann, Dante, get over here!" As desperation took over me, I found myself screaming for help. The longer we leave Amato under there the more dangerous it'll become! "Leave Sergio to Vito and come here now! We need to dig Amato out as fast as we can-!"

My words cut off as soon as my eyes looked back.

There, Johann lay motionless, his shoulders drooped down as well as the rest of his body, hanging from the grip cuffed at the front of his collars. His jersey was almost entirely torn off, and a huge cut sliced his chest wide open. Innocenti stood amidst the fallen, with Sergio, Vito and Dante sprawled over the open ground. Only Aria was left unharmed, shaking by the extreme corner, her eyes wide open in shock.

How...? They masked their presence? I couldn't sense anything!

In that one second of distraction I pushed myself up only to come face to face with the other hunter. Koenig stared down at me with eyes almost devoid of light, his arm already in mid swing!

Crack.

"Thud!"

What started as a thick slab of meat smashing against my jaw ended with my back crashing against the stony road. The whole experienced left every inch of my body numb with my eyes blacking out from the impact. In darkness I struggled, only to have my joints creaking at the slightest movement, pain spiking out at every turn.

"Augh.. Hah.. No!" I can't help but deny what's happening. After everything we did, are we still gonna lose the second Legacy Arm? Is this mission gonna end up a failure? No, I can't allow that to happen!

And yet, no amount of wishing could alleviate the crunching pain amidst the sea of unfeeling numbness etched all over my body. Of course, my body was pushed over its limits over an hour ago, no way anything Vito had on him could have fixed me up whatsoever. As the shadows receded from my eyes, I opened up to the scene of Koenig trudging his way towards Miss Yoko, with Verde perched on his shoulder. In all futility, my arm creaked as it reached towards them...

"No, get away from her! Miss Yoko...!" Above all else, I don't want Miss Yoko to get hurt because of the Legacy of the Zanna Famiglia!

The thought lingered in my mind as my heavy eyelids started falling, my vision blurred and hindered as seconds passed. Exhaustion chewed at me as whatever feelings I had returned, pressing down on my shoulders. The last thing I saw was Yoko crying out as Koenig pulled her off her feet with one hand, crushing her on her neck, before everything phased out...

"It's not on her!"

That one line, ragged with annoyance, jerked me back into consciousness. That's right, I had been so occupied with Amato that I didn't realize it! Miss Yoko didn't have Kujaku anymore! The bright shimmering light emitting forth from the jewel of power was absent ever since we got out of the building! Wait a minute, that means...! In sudden revelation I pushed myself up with adrenaline, only to see Koenig now with the glare of a demon in his eyes!

"No witnesses." Casually, Verde tossed out the command, his eyes zipping all over the gadgets he had in his hands. As Yoko struggled in shock, tears flowing down the side of her cheeks, I watched as Koenig raised a dagger in his other hand, and sent it flying towards Yoko. The silver blade rushing to pierce her neck!

"No!" All I could muster in the end was a scream that was drowned out by the howling of the winter wind blowing against the sky of dawn...

_Badump._

"Beep Beep Beep!"

"Shuuuuu!" Suddenly, a piercing hum resonated forth, pulsing from the pile of debris where the building used to stand. A faint light emerged, glowing stronger and brighter so rapidly the energy started pouring out through the cracks! And then, everything is swallowed up in an instant, back into its core...

"Kaboom!"

The next second we're greeted with an onslaught of sound and force as the explosion blew the chunks of stone apart, the force blowing the sand and dust into the air! Wherever there was no stone, fire raged, licking and spewing forth, the temperature in the air fluctuating, searing the edges of my skin in a second! From deep within the metal and stone, a humongous fireball chewed through the air, its orange flames flicker with a light pink tint. As it touched the sky, the fireball twitched as if it was alive.

By the time Koenig turned his eyes towards the light, it was already streaking down and crashing towards where he stands!

"Tch!" In swift reflex, he kicked to the ground and leaped back in an effort to dodge, tossing Miss Yoko into the air and straight into the path of the crashing fireball! In shock, I was left stunned at the sight. But, before I could say anything, Yoko disappeared into the flames, fire burning away at her skin as she was swallowed whole!

It was... strange, I wanted to scream, but there's something about the flames that calmed me down, and took away my fears...

The giant fireball smashed into the ground, but instead of dissipating in a wave of bursting flames, it continued burning, the cackle of its fire throbbing into my ears. In another wave of force pulsing out, a familiar presence reach out to me with its touch. As the flames burned out with a sudden gust of wind, the sight of the guy stepping out of it was enough for me to forget all my pain and bring a small smile onto my face.

"...Amato."

With Yoko cradled in his arms, Amato stands with the spiky ends of his hair now curled upwards, a single line of hair dyed pink. Despite his utterly ruined clothes, the bruises and cuts he had before is all gone, his skin now unblemished from head to toe! With a tilt of his head, his lazy eyes falls upon the hunter before him, and a wry smile stretched across his face...

"Heh, the Phoenix cometh." Chuckling to himself, Amato pushes his step forward, waking Yoko up from her daze. With confused eyes, Yoko looked towards the Amato with disbelief. But, she doesn't struggle in Amato's arms, instead resorted to watching the situation from where she was. Strange, there's something not quite right about his Awakening. With another breath, Amato then gently laid down Yoko on the ground beside him before fixing his eyes back towards our enemies, speaking out once more...

"Kujaku!"

All of a sudden, the name of the second Legacy Arm is invoked! Pulsing flames burned anew, roaring out from where Amato stand in every direction! Almost mystically however, the roaring flames would go out of their way around Yoko, never getting close enough to burn her. A bright red light now envelops Amato, as Kujaku's glow grows ever stronger, hanging alongside the Tear of the Fang. Instead of Fang, another word forms itself across the artifact's translucent surface:

TALON

Of course! Amato has entered his Second Awakening! No longer channeling the Spirit of the Wolf, he now bears the Will of the Phoenix, and holds the power of fire in the palm of his hands! I thought his body would have needed to adapt to the new power, just like what the records back in the Zanna Mansion entails, but it seems I was wrong.

He looks more than capable of controlling Kujaku already!

Shining with pride and presence, Amato, still looking as laid back as before in his second Awakening, took but one glance towards Sergio and the others before jerking his eyes towards Koenig. The man was silent, surprised and dumbstruck by what happened before him. Slightly perturbed, Amato now glares at the man with shadowed eyes...

"I am a man of my word, and a man of forgiveness." Despite the hostility, Amato surprised me with his words, and even more when he gave Koenig a bow. What exactly is he doing? All of a sudden, he breaks out of his bow abruptly, continuing his words.

"Leave now and all can be forgotten."

The sheer change in personality left me speechless, swirling thoughts crying out. Why is he doing this? Has Amato really dropped his guard before the hunters? After all that's happened tonight, he should have known better than to open himself like this! I taught him better than this! In the chaos, another voice drowned out my thoughts. Verde was the first out of the three to recover. Tinkering with his gadgets still, his words would serve as the spark, igniting the fuse!

"What are you two doing?! The jewel's around his neck, relinquish it from him!"

At Verde's beckoning, Koenig and Innocenti sprung into action, mechanical movements coupled with dead eye accuracy. In one swift motion, Koenig pulls out a metal longsword right out of his coat, its silver blade glistening in the dawn. All the injuries from before seemed to vanish in an instant, and taking a stance, the hunter pushed forward with a forceful thrust, the sword hissing as it lunges towards Amato!

"Amato, look out!" Driven by surprise, the words finally escaped from my lips. However, the guy that is the Boss of the Zanna Famiglia took a stance and only that, never moving from where he stood!

No, he's gonna get run through!

As the sword rushed to meet Amato's chest, I found my legs moving again. Scrambling forth, I hoped to block Amato from the blow. I don't want to lose him again! Alas, I was second too late, and stopped at his side as the metal tore at whatever remains of a shirt he had left!

"Skletch!" The sound of flesh being ripped hit my ears. Shuddering, I forced myself to look despite the part of me reluctant.

_Badump._

The first object that came before my eyes was the tip of Koenig's silver blade, pointed upwards into the air. Trailing down, I was surprised to see no blood staining the metal. In fact, the sword didn't seem to have cut anything at all! So where did the dreadful sound came from? If Amato didn't get stabbed, then... Don't tell me...! At the end of the trail, my eyes stopped at the point where Amato and Koenig had clashed, their bodies smashed against each other. In silence, they stood frozen, unmoving, until Koenig's pupils went white. His eyes then burst open in a panic!

"Guargh!" His howling scream pierced into the sky as he wrenched himself free! Even as he leaped back, his balance was compromised, and the undying hunter from before crashed on his back. At this moment, Verde fell off his shoulder as well, face-planting onto the asphalt road. From where I stand I saw red flowing from his abdomen, the skin and flesh torn and mauled open! The very sight was so sudden I couldn't help but shoot a glance back towards Amato...

There he stood, with a boastful look on his face as fire danced from his fingers, taking on the shape of a claw. Wherever the fire didn't touch, the skin was smeared crimson.

"Too bad." With a sadistic smile, Amato casually tossed out the remark as he flicked the blood off the palm of his hand. The very sight is so contrasting against his usual persona I feel a shiver down my spine. "Did you really think yourself quicker than me? No mere swordsman can match my speed!" Breaking into praises for himself, Amato took only a second before pushing himself into a stance once more, his claws primed and ready as Innocenti lunged at him with a flurry of attacks. The air hissed as his chisels sliced through in a storm!

"Kashink! Clink! Kashink!"

It was unlike anything his initial Awakening could have mustered. Gone were the burst of strength and reflex, now replaced with pure precision and unmatched speed so fast the movements blurred before my eyes! It looked as though dodging the slashes flying at him at an insane speed was nothing but a triviality. Amato zipped to the blind spot of every single slash, and when Innocenti's movements slowed for just a split second, he dived right in!

"Skletch!"

His fire claws burning bright, Amato would plunge his arms into the flesh of the enemy and ripping his hands out before Innocenti could even react. As the same sound shot out, Innocenti's movements would stagger, and in his desperation he would throw his arms out in an attempt to strike Amato.

"Augh!"

In perfect, rhythmic flow, Amato blocks the attacks before returning with his own, all within the time span of two seconds. First he dug into his chest, then he severed his hamstrings before finally clawing into his shoulders, all while bearing the same arrogant smile on his face! Stumbling back, Innocenti could do little but cry out in pain with every attack! It became less of a fight and more of a predator playing with its prey. The painful sight sent droves of questions into my mind, each screaming for an answer.

Is this... really Amato? Does he realize what he's doing? Is this the work of the Legacy Arm? Does the personality change means that the influence of the Armament is overpowering Amato's persona? Or is this really what Amato wants, from the bottom of his heart? I can't say anything because nothing seem certain. Even Yoko could do little but stare from where she sat.

With a toss, Innocenti is sent crashing against Koenig, his body now riddled with wounds and blood all over. As the two of them struggled for air itself, Verde only shook his head in disappointment. Without the slightest concern for his acquaintances, his baby arms dig into his pockets before his sharp eyes widened in shock as if noticing something! Following his line of sight, we turned to Amato standing at the exact spot where he was before. The only thing different was the gigantic fireball now building up above his head!

"Not only did you ignored the graciousness I offered, but you dared to raise your weapons against me?!" All of a sudden, Amato shot out his warning, the words ending with a scream. I don't think I've ever seen him this mad before. Massive, volatile energy swirled above his head with each passing second. One could feel the pulsing of light and heat getting stronger by the touch of their skin alone!

"Damn, looks like I'll have skip ahead to field tests..." Even in shock, the Arcobaleno impressed me with his calm comment coupled with his steady hands. From the depths of his pockets came a small, box-like object, riddled with bolts and screws all over. In its center was a most prominent opening about the size of a ring.

However, the distraction is quickly ignored in the face of the gargantuan ball of fire going critical at a single, pulsing wave of force!

"Know your place, you wretched hounds!" In a sudden burst of anger, Amato's scream pierced through the air as fire ravaged towards Verde, Innocenti and Koenig at a mere flick of Amato's wrist!

"Roar!"

This is it! Even though Amato's new Awakening left me shaking with confusion, it would be a boon if this attack connects. We would finally complete what we set out to do. Certainly, I don't expect Koenig and Innocenti to get back up after this. Excitement coming over me, I stood there watching with anticipation, my fingers curled into tightly knotted fists as my fingernails dug into my flesh. Awaiting the end to this long and painful night...

"Fwoosh!" Wind scattered as the fire smashed into the hunters, the orange flames dancing as the edges spreads, engulfing the spot in an instant! There was no sound, no cry, just an eerie silence as their visages were swallowed whole.

"Sigh... It's finally over..." As the flames left me entranced, the words finally slipped out by accident. Before I know it I'm already relaxing my soldiers as the sound of matter breaking down in the face of intense heat popped into my ears. Amato, in a rare moment of silence, had his eyes pinned on the flickering flames, his mind in deep thought. The haunting smile before had all but vanished, as he now bears the light of caution and wonder in his eyes...

Suddenly, the fire stifled, the rampant flames increasing in speed as they're gathered into a hellish vortex right before our eyes! As the wave of fire was devoured, vanishing down into the eye of the vortex, Verde's sharp eyes came into sight, staring right at us through his thick, disheveled green hair. As the orange light of fire vanished from our sights, the small, metal box in his hand pulsed with power, a glaring light shining forth!

"I don't believe it.. did.. did that box all but absorbed the fire?!" Disturbed by the fact that Verde still such a trick up his sleeve, my eyes shot a glance towards Amato only to catch sight of him already starting his assault anew, fire molding into claws around his arms once more! But, it was not a moment too soon, as Koenig and Innocenti had scrunched themselves up from the ground, their weapons raised once more!

As Amato rushed them, Verde dodged out of the way only to turn his attention to the box throbbing in his hands. It's... getting faster?! The powerful impulses blasting out in intervals could be felt even from where I stand, but.. at the rate it's going, it's.. anything but normal!

"My god, it's overloading! The flame's going nova!" As his arms trembled as if reluctant to hold on to the box, Verde screams out in extreme panic, no longer bearing the inhuman calmness from before. Immediately, the term set my mind ablaze! I don't know what that thing is, but if what Verde is saying is true, we're looking at an explosion almost ten times bigger than that fireball from before!

I need to do something! Isn't there anything I can do to help? If nothing's done, everything here, up to a ten mile radius, is going to be reduced to nothing but ashes!

As my eyes flew to my shield, towards Aria and even the hunters however... my mind birthed no solution...

"Amato!"

In the end, in painful hopelessness I could only scream out his name as my eyes fell on him, tired and resigned to the inevitable fate. As soon as that pink strand of hair came into sight however, Amato burst off into a mad dash, sand and stone flying as he closed in on Verde with deadly focus! No longer laid back like before, the earth trembled with his every step, literally vanishing from where he stood and re-appearing at where the hunters were in a split second!

As his claws reached out towards them, Koenig and Innocenti were too slow to even react. However, the fire surrounding Amato vanished just as his fingers grabbed hold of the box, leaping away from the three as soon as he took it off Verde's tiny little hands. As he drew a good distance away from us all, I could see a hint of nervousness in his eyes before he pushed it all away...

With a single wave of force pulsing out, the ground he stood on blew apart as Amato launched himself straight up into the sky! Faster than a speeding bullet, I watched as flaming wings sprouted forth from his elbows before he got too small for my eyes to follow.

"Kiera, what's he doing?!" All of a sudden, Yoko's voice pulled me back. As I struggled to stand, all the pain creaking still, Aria and Yoko scrambled to my side. Despite my wavering vision and a huge sense of nausea, my eyes turned back to the skies as I focused to pinpoint where Amato currently is. He's floating among the clouds, holding the box close to his heart...

No... Don't tell me he's..!

"He's planning to... take in the explosion... into his very being! He's going to negate the nova flare!" The thoughts were screamed out as soon as they came to mind. And they no doubt left the three of us extremely worried. Even the hunters stood bewildered, confused at what they should do next as their eyes can't help but lingered up towards Amato...

And then, as if the clock had no time left to spare, everything went silent as the light from the box vanished...

"Kaboom!"

The roar of the explosion hit us hard, the force crushing down on my shoulders. It wasn't just something we felt, before our eyes the flare went off, huge waves of fire and radiation blowing out at an intense rate! The light was so bright I couldn't help but shift my hand to shield my eyes from the glare. However, the next second came and the explosion came to halt, the fire now flickering with every burst. When the back of my hand moved away from sight, I squint my eyes only to see the waves of fire in the sky seeping towards Amato!

"Grraaauuugggghhhh!" As the light and energy flowed through his body and into Kujaku, the edges of Amato's skin started to burn. His grunts of pain soon escalated into a piercing scream, as huge bruises and blackened burns littered across his arms! Mere seconds was all it took for Amato to completely devour the nova flare, leaving the skies clear as the last of his shirt was burned off.

As his eyes blanked out, we could do little but watch as Amato falls! Accelerating at an insane speed, he barely woke up right before he crashed into the earth, sprouting his wings of fire once more and floating his way down to the ground.

"Thud!" To my surprise, the wings were extinguished as soon as Amato got to about a few meters above ground level, leaving him helpless as he smashed face first into the ground!

"Amato!" We cried out in part surprise and part relief when we saw him fall, pushing our way towards the crater where he crashed. However, my injuries made the few steps forward a challenge. "Huff.. Hah.. Hah.." My eyes fell to the ground amidst the sound of my own heavy breaths. Don't think I'll be able to keep this up much longer. Brushing away the beads of cold sweat, I push another step forward as my eyes shift back up towards Amato...

Only to see Koenig over him, Innocenti at his side! "Hah.. Hah.. Hah.." With broken arms, he tore at Amato, crushing on his windpipe as he pulled him off the ground. Even with his consciousness returned, Amato could do little to free himself, his hand holding back Koenig's fingers from completely suffocating him!

"No, get away from him!" Yoko started screaming, but in the end was left frozen. Without Kujaku, I don't expect her to have any form of offense against the hunters. As the grip tightened ever so slightly, Amato's eyes twitched in suffering as his arms fell limp...

"Stop, Koenig, release him. The experiment's done!" A sharp command rang into our ears at the last second. At the words, Koenig contemplated for but a second before tossing Amato aside. Verde stepped back into the picture, still drenched in sweat from the fiasco before.

"Are you sure we can we leave the witnesses alive?" Koenig asked out as Innocenti withdrew his weapons, brushing the dust, sand and blood off of his body.

"If he didn't absorb that nova flare from before, we would've been wiped out along half of the city! He earned this favor..." Mercy from the Lightning Arcobaleno was a huge surprise, but when the words left Aria grinning from ear to ear, I did little to question. Turning back to the sky, Verde's calculating look returned almost immediately. "The flame from that jewel was... too raw, unrefined... destructive." Comments about their experiment broke the welcome silence brought on when the fights stopped, with Koenig and Innocenti focusing their attention towards Verde as they listened attentively.

"It seems the Boxes won't be ready as soon as we hoped..." As he hopped upon Koenig's shoulder once more, we stared in silence as he turned his eyes towards where Sergio laid unconscious. "But... I know where we can find a more refined power source."

"Hah.. Hah.. Hah.."

As the three turned and left, disappearing into the shadows after exchanging information, Amato struggled before our eyes as he got up on his two feet, his body convulsing hard. At the sight, I felt my own pain dwarfed, and pulled him arm over my shoulders. At my silence, Amato only got more and more agitated. But as we turned towards Yoko and Aria, a spike of pain threw me off balance, my vision tumbling down!

"Whoa there!" All of a sudden, a familiar voice called out to us from behind, as gentle arms stopped me from the fall. It was Sergio who caught me, sharing the weight. His fingers pointing, I saw Johann, Vito and Dante staggering behind me, but alive! The very sight immediately put a smile on my face.

"I'm sorry, Kiera. This is unsightly. I guess I'm not as strong as I thought I'd be..." With his head down, I listened as Amato berated himself, mumbling out the words. Of course, I didn't agree with him at all!

"No, you did great, Amato!" With a smile, I could feel my cheeks flushing as I gave out the praise. As we joined back with the others, as they caught hint of my voice, it only got that much more difficult to speak! Pushing back the jitters, my mind raced for a the proper sentence!

"You were spectacular, the beacon of light that gave us the right to stand with you right now!"

And with that, our objective was met. We have secured the second Legacy Arm. We have fended off the hunters that coveted our prize.

The mission was a success.

* * *

**The climax to this arc is finally done! I hope you guys enjoyed it, as well as the journey leading up to it! I really want to know about your thoughts on the story, my writing, anything you wanna say really! Just write it all down in your reviews, no reviews in the recent updates made me a sad panda. What's going to happen now that the Zanna Famiglia has reclaimed another piece of their Legacy? How will Amato's life change from here on out? Keep your eyes out for the next chapter to find out!**


	69. Back To Italy

**Author's Note:**

**My beloved readers! After all the hoo-ha over the new year I'm finally free to start writing again! It has definitely been too long, I can't wait to get back to the world of Reborn with the Zanna Famiglia once more!**

* * *

**Chapter 68: Back To Italy.**

_Ba-dump. Ba-dump. Ba-dump._

The sound of my own heartbeat beckons, unrelenting. It's messing up my sense of hearing. In between each massive thump I hear voices. They speak with pained breaths and in stammering intervals. The things I see, the images, they come and go in random motion, too fast for me to make any sense of them, or piece them together to form something consistent. Noise distorts the memory and this incessant buzzing drives me into madness. Before long, a splitting headache makes everything worse.

Kiera came into sights, and so did Sergio. In the dream I see them helping me, giving me their support as I pushed one step forward after the other...

"Sergio!" Amidst all the cumbersome noise hindering my hearing, Kiera's voice called out crystal clear. Despite the pain chewing at the back of my head, to the point where I couldn't even focus, I could still see Sergio falling on the ground in pain with great clarity. The next thing I know, everyone else broke down as well, succumbing to the severity of their wounds. They struggle on the ground as the cuts re-opened and blood was spilled once more.

_No blood is to be spilled before my presence._

Ack! Pain wrecks the dream, disassembling everything at a moments notice, just as I thought the chaos had died down. With it came a wave of helplessness, this intense feeling of rejection. As if in conflict, I felt torn between two choices, my own body slowly being ripped apart!

That's right, Kiera rushed to help them. Yoko and Aria too, they tried to move Sergio and the others back to the hotel while limiting the aggravation of the wounds as best as they could. Did I lend a hand? I don't think I did. Argh, all the random distortions and buzzing is bleaching out everything, so much that I can't make out my own actions in the dream.

"I apologize, my Lord, but..hah..I must ask you of but one more request this night.."

"Please Amato..hah..hah..can you escort Sergio and Johann back to their respective rooms?"

_No blood is to be spilled before my presence._

Suddenly, the sight of Sergio and Johann thrown to the ground flashed before my eyes! Yoko and Aria cried out in question, but I heard none of it. Driven by this compulsion, this persona I felt the need to 'correct' the situation. We couldn't move them back anymore. The time had come and passed. It was too late. Walking up towards Kiera I met her confused eyes with a jab to her solar-plexus, enough to rob her of her consciousness!

It's horrible, but even with all the distortion growing worse, the buzzing getting louder and louder, the scene still plays out just clear enough for me to get the gist of it all. Worse of all, I had this freaking weird justification in mind.

That there's no other choice.

Huddling the injured close, the preparation was complete. The phoenix empowered me once more, and there and then I could finally do what I should have done the moment the fighting was over. As Yoko and Aria looked at me with horror, I set my friends ablaze. Amidst the shadows flickering within the flames, I could have sworn I saw Kiera and the others crying out in pain!

And yet I only smiled in relief, because there was no other choice.

_No blood is to be spilled before my presence._

* * *

"Ngh...no, no! Nnnoooooo!" Screaming myself awake, the ranging flames morphed to the sight of familiar walls. Within a few rapid blinks I finally realized I'm back in my own room, the same ornate designs carved into the various pillars that stretched to the ceilings. "Hah..hah..hah.." In the silence, the sound of my mangled breaths radiated out loud. Instinctively I reached for my chest only to find it drenched with sweat. The wetness ruining the layers of bandage hidden behind my sleeping clothes.

I'm all fixed up?

Struggling with inertia as I pushed myself up from bed, my head felt groggy. It's as if it's unable to properly process information yet, more so process the transition between my messed up dream with consistent reality. In my confusion I couldn't help but glance towards the corner of my eyes. There I saw the Tear of the Fang sitting atop the little cabinet beside my bed, as well as the crimson jewel Kujaku right next to it.

"Huh!" The very sight caused me to jump right outta bed. Because if Kujaku's here, that means.. "That wasn't just a dream, we did went to Japan, and got this back from-!" Before I could even finish, the thoughts flashing into mind was enough for me pick up the Tear and Kujaku and break out into a dash, rushing my way out of my room!

Pressing my way through the elongated hallways, I was met with surprise by those of the Zanna Famiglia assigned to their patrols within the mansion, and yet I didn't stop to greet them or anything. Making a silent apology as I pushed passed them, I make a mental note to explain things to them later before going back to the one thing screaming out in my mind!

Kiera, Sergio, and the rest of them! Where are they?! What's happened?! Are they okay?!

"Well that was a surprise, who knew the armament was capable of such miracles..."

Stopping just before the great doors leading into the living room, I could hear voices through the mahogany. My mind however, was in complete shambles, and I couldn't recognize whose voice was it. The dream, no matter how clear it seemed, is denied! I wouldn't have done that to...Sergio and...I just wouldn't! Drowning in worry to the point that I couldn't even think, I ended up ignoring everything else before throwing the great doors open!

"In any case, as per we all agreed, we'll keep an eye out on Lord Amato, take shifts looking after him, and ultimately hope that one day he would-"

"Slam!"

In that instant, all manner of discussion stopped immediately, and all eyes turned to the door, pinning themselves on me. On the couch, Sergio and Johann sat on one side, while Vito and Dante sat themselves across the other. Addressing them was none other than Kiera, now back in her french maid uniform and standing with the same, graceful air as ever. With my unannounced arrival, everyone in the room is struck with surprise, but none was more surprised than me.

"Ngh..Y-You're all here...you're all okay!" A good look at all of them present in the room was enough to clear away all confusion. With it, I found myself overcome with an overwhelming sense of relief, so much that it felt as though I would tear up at any moment! "T-Then, that never happened! I didn't set any of you on fire..." Pushing away the horrible images of that dream, I couldn't help mumbling out as I brought the jewel up to my eyes...

Even as the Legacy Arm laid within my grasp my hand trembled uncontrollably, as if instinctively in fear of the crimson jewel.

"You're..you're awake! You're okay!" Stopping before me, Kiera's taciturn demeanor broke away as it was her turn to be overwhelmed by relief. The very sight made me realize just how much trouble I've caused, how worried Kiera really was... "Is...Is something troubling you, my Lord?" Pushing the jewel away from my sights, Kiera looked to me with eyes full of concern as she wrapped her hands around mine. Breaking out of my self-driven stupor, I looked around only to see the others just as worried and slightly surprised.

"I'm..I'm fine! We're back, in Italy I mean!" Not wanting to worry them any longer, a shake was all it took to drive away the fear and bring a smile back on my face!

That's also when I realized my hand stopped shivering amidst Kiera's comforting grip.

Sergio and the others weren't so easily convinced though, but after exchanging a few glances it felt as though they all agreed on something and gave up pressing for answers. With everything back to normal, Sergio jumped towards me with a chuckle.

"You're finally up! You slept like a log for four days already, ya know?" He gave out as his arms went around my shoulders. Behind his smile, I could have sworn I felt his grip trembling. But, it quickly went away with a sigh of relief.

"Four days?! Whoa...is that normal?" At Sergio's words I couldn't help feeling surprised. I mean, did I sleep through the whole trip back?

"Well, the normal thing was for you to never wake up..." As nonchalant as ever, Vito tossed out his reply as he picked himself up on the sofa. Amidst his long, auburn fringe, his eyes were sparked with intrigue. That is, until they went white with surprise. At the same time a heavy presence bordering along murderous seemed to pulse from my side. It turns out it was Kiera giving him the stare.

The one scary enough to make every strand of hair in my body stand on their ends!

"W-Well, you pushed way pass your limits your organs and muscles were already starting to break down, not to mention all the injury you sustained!" It's a rare sight to see Vito struggling with his words. Normally he's a whiz with his witty tongue, cynical or no. "Well, I guess it's a good thing you proved me wrong then.."Unable to face the pressure head on, he quickly shifted to the side of the sofa and looked away as his words died down into a mumble.

"...even if I'm never wrong with my diagnostics."

Catching that small little remark at the end was enough to pull a small smile on Dante's face, despite taking a back seat at everything happening, as he always does. After a few glances my way, however, he just got up to his feet and started making his way across the room and towards the door with his rifle in tow. Just as he stride passed me however, he shot me a few words, just loud enough for me to catch them...

"Welcome back. I'm going back to work."

And that was enough input to get me feeling right at home again. Within the safe walls of my mansion my friends are all okay. Seeing their smiles made me doubt what I felt before, and yet, there's still this nagging feeling at the back of my head, reminding me that what I saw in my dream really did happen. Whatever it was, Kujaku is the key. That's it, I'm never using this Legacy Arm ever again! Turning back to the smiles of my Sergio and the others, I suddenly realized the people missing from the scene.

As well as the promise I made with one of them!

"Um, guys? Where's Aria? And Yoko? Did she came back with us?" That's right, Aria's not hanging with Kiera like she always does. Yoko's nowhere in the room either! After that night at that old building did everything work out the way I hoped?

"Calm down, Lord Amato." With an assuring smile, Kiera replied to me as if she expected me ask such a question. "They're both safe, there were no trouble with the Miss Yoko's migration into this country." With confidence she effortlessly explained to me all that's happened regarding Yoko while I was out.

"Wait, doesn't the whole process take a few months to complete?" Out of nowhere, Johann popped into the conversation, bringing up a valid point. It didn't falter Kiera one bit though, despite bringing her into a pause for a few seconds.

"Yes, well, apparently Miss Yoko pulled a few strings to hasten the completion. She'll officially be a rightful citizen of Venice by sunrise tomorrow." Kiera answered with amused tone, as if remembering something. It seems Kiera was the one who accompanied Yoko through all the logistics. Her answer's kinda vague though. What does she man by Yoko pulling a few strings?

..hm, maybe it's better that I don't get all the details.

"In any case, Miss Aria had some personal matters to attend to, and Miss Yoko has gone out for a tour of the city. 'To get a feel for the place' as she said." Kiera then closes off her explanation on the two girls before making her way to the cabinet on the far side of the room. A second later, she returned with a feather-duster in hand, surprising me to no end. It's times like this that I forgot Kiera's not just a friend but a real maid that's tasked with the job of maintaining the Zanna Mansion as well.

"I apologize, Lord Amato, but I'm afraid I must take my leave. Duty beckons. I will see you at dinner as always." Returning back to her uniformed persona she gave me a polite bow before leaving through the door.

"All right then, I guess I'm heading into the city as well!" I gave out as I started jogging towards the door as well. After all, now I know where Yoko is.

"Huh? Wait, where are ya heading, Amato?" Still surprised at their seats, Sergio suddenly called out to me as he and Johann got up when they saw me leaving. Unfortunately, I don't plan to have them come along, it would make things that much more difficult.

"Oh it's nothing, just keeping my promise is all!" I replied before breaking off into a dash towards the main doors, hoping to make my way out into the streets before they could even catch up!

* * *

Pacing my way through the streets, the cold air rustled and grazed against my skin, but the stone roads and Gothic styled houses was a welcomed sight. The faint smell of salt lingering in the air and the gentle waves crashing against the canals is enough to put a silly smile on my face! I guess I missed my hometown more than I thought. Sure Akihabara was nice, but the streets were too modern and there were way too many people! Unlike the high rise buildings scattered across the streets of Akihabara, the olden styled buildings of Venice, carved out of stone, didn't tower around me, and left the majestic sky unobstructed.

With the streets now cleared of snow, more and more people are coming out of their homes, ready to celebrate the coming of Spring. Unfortunately, that only means it's that much more difficult to find a single person amidst the groups of people here and there...

"Huh?" Suddenly a strange sensation put a stop to my steps. It felt like somebody had their eyes on me, peering at me from a distance. Slightly distraught over the idea of another assassination attempt so soon after I got back, my eyes just flew all over the place to try and locate where the sensation came from. Yet, there was nothing suspicious to be found in the street, just a bunch of people carrying on with their lives...

"Sigh, must be my imagination..." Brushing the paranoia off I picked up my pace as I resumed the search for Yoko. Kiera said she was touring the city on her own, now which locale would be interesting to a girl like Yoko?

Huh, there she is. For some reason, seeing her seated alone at the corner, sipping her black tea under the shade of the parasol really fits into the overall mood of the scene at the cafe. Dressed in yellow blouse, denim skirt with a black scarf around her neck, she was oozing fashion and maturity, as usual. As I made my way towards her table, Yoko sat there unaware of my presence, distracted with worry in the light of her eyes.

"Hey Yoko!" I called out to her with a smile as I finally reached her side, giving her a little wave with my right hand to catch her attention. Snapping out of her trance, her amber eyes only widened when she saw me.

"Ah.." For a few seconds she was stammering with her words. "Amato!" Then suddenly she threw her arms around me, just as I saw tears forming around the corner of her eyes! "A-Amato, you're awake! You've woken up from that coma! Vito said you'd never wake again! I was so scared because I knew it was all my fault!" Out of nowhere, my image of Yoko before crumbled as she broke into tears, becoming nothing more than a regular girl. With her body pressed against mine I could feel the tremble to her touch.

"No way, it..it was never your fault, Yoko, you know that!" Suddenly I find myself scrambling for a few comforting words. "H-Hey, about my promise that night..here's Kujaku back-ack!" Just as my hand started digging Kujaku out of my pocket however, her grip got tighter, almost crushing the air out of me! For some reason, she just started tightening her arms around me more and more! "Yoko! C-Can't breathe!"

"Ahem." Suddenly, we were interrupted by a third voice, and one I heard from before. A side-glance brought the waitress into sight, dressed in a cute little uniform in black with white apron, black tights and brown shoes. As my eyes shifted to her face, though, I immediately wished I hadn't met up with Yoko. At least, not at this cafe!

"G-G-G-Gina!" At the horror I couldn't help screaming out before gently freeing myself from Yoko. After that I'm afraid I can't move an inch anymore, not before Gina's twitching brow and her face going beet red!

"I'm terribly sorry to..interrupt your loving act but..may. I. Take. Your. Order?!" With emphasis on each word, Gina tries her best to maintain her calm despite nearly breaking the pencil in her hands in two! Unable to take the silence any longer, Gina started speaking again. "Oh, I did not notice. Hello Amato, what brings you to this cafe, my. Dear. B-friend?" Obviously, she's prodding for an answer, but I'm afraid I can't find the proper words!

"Who's this, Amato?" As if seeing her cry just seconds before was nothing but a dream, Yoko sharpened her eyes as she threw out her question.

"U-Um.." Before I could decide on what to say, Yoko apparently took the initiative.

"Excuse me, but I have to say, furrowed brows and a beet red face does not make for a pleasant dining experience." Yoko said it straight to Gina's face, shocking me to no end when I heard her! She's certainly not helping with how volatile the situation is right now!

"Snap!"

"What did you say?!" As the pencil snapped from pure finger strength alone, the remark worked wonders in riling Gina into an outburst! Her screaming got nearly everyone in the outer dining area looking towards us, and before it looked as though they were gonna go beyond just words, I quickly jumped right in the middle!

"Wait, wait a minute!" With my hands on their shoulders, I hoped to resolve any and all problems. Including those of my own fault. "Ugh..O-Okay, first thing's first, introductions..uh.." For a slight moment I had to glance to each sides to make sure I got things right. "Gina, this is Hayashi Yoko. She's a friend we met in Japan, and she's migrating over here, so she came back with us..." Turning my eyes from Gina to Yoko, I took a deep breath before continuing. "..and Yoko, this is Regina Conti, she's a close friend and.."

Oh I can't believe I'm saying this, but right now I don't have a choice!

"..the girl I like." I muttered out the very words, even as my face flared up from the embarrassment. I can't believe I said that, I've never been able to say it directly to Gina before! Gina took to surprise at my words but, she didn't seem assuaged. Instead, with her face burning up with embarrassment, her eyes fell to the ground as she pointed towards Yoko.

"You went to Japan and came back with a girl and you expect everything's gonna be okay just because you say you like me?! It's not that simple, Amato Zanna!" By now, Gina's long passed her fuming and wasn't holding back one bit, yelling at me with piercing words and a rather conflicted tone to boot!

"Bah ha ha ha ha ha!" As if things weren't bad enough, two men from a few tables away broke out into a hysterical hubbub of laughter. If I didn't know better, I would have said they were laughing at the expense of my predicament!

Wait a minute. Those long coats, the fake mustaches...Sergio?! And Johann?! What are they doing here?! And why are they laughing, this is not funny! When they caught my glare, all Sergio did was flashed me a sign that sorta said 'You brought it upon yourself, now reap what you sow!' Just as I'm wrecked between the girls and my oh so beloved friends, Yoko snuggled her way to my side, mumbling out a few words.

"Maybe we should tell her about how I'll be staying at your place from now on..."

"What?!" That got another even louder scream out of Gina. "I've had enough, Amato!" Too frustrated to retort, Gina gave me a heart wrenching look of disappointment before stomping away without even taking the order. As soon as she did though, Yoko too pushed me away, causing me to fall off the chair and onto the stone-riddled ground!

"Hmph, glad to see you up again, Amato." With what felt like poisonous words Yoko gave me her own disappointed look before turning her back on me and walking off into the streets.

"Bwa ha ha ha ha ha!"

As I ended up covering for her coffee, Sergio and Johann almost died laughing at their table, their disguises falling off from their own outburst. If that wasn't enough, the rest of the customers at their table joined in, some giving out a chuckle at what happened while others shook their head in pity...

* * *

"Oh I am so glad I followed you out the door, Sergio!" A joyful Johann exclaimed as he drove his steps forward. At his side, Sergio was sharing his smile, but behind them was me, wallowing in my self-pity. The day had come to an end before we knew it. As the three of us make our way back to the mansion, the orange setting sun never seemed so depressing. My friends certainly had a grand time, but I'm sorry if I don't find myself sharing their amusement!

The streets also felt just as empty, as the shops closed and people hurried home.

"Ha ha, yeah, especially that last part, Yoko was great! She was basically adding fuel to the flames!" Yelling out in excitement, Sergio threw his arms around Johann before the two burst into another round of laughs. Which of course, annoyed the heck out of me stumbling on behind them.

"Hey, stop, it's not that funny!" In the end I can't help snapping back at them, even when I forgave them before.

"Yes it was! Your reaction was priceless!" Sergio replied as they two of them turned towards me, pulling me into their little group. Though I did try my best to free myself, everything that's happened has rendered me both physically and mentally exhausted, and I end up getting dragged along.

"Sigh, some friends you guys turn out to be..." I muttered out with my head hanging, before realizing what I said. Fortunately, Sergio and Johann didn't faze one bit.

"Hey, you knew this would happen sooner or later! And besides, we didn't know Yoko was gonna end up in the cafe Regina was working at!" Johann was the one to reply this time, with Sergio agreeing with his every word. "You see? True friends face problems together." He exclaimed, crossing his arms in pride.

"But you guys didn't face the problem with me! You were laughing your butts off while I was left to fend for myself!" I retorted as my mind died from trying to see Johann's logic. "Sigh, still I guess speeding things up could make things easier...argh, whatever.."

As the day came to a close, I was left wondering what's to become of my relationship with both Yoko and Gina. Looking out into the setting sun I hope I find some way to apologize to the both of them, and maybe even help them be friends. Pushing forward towards the mansion, new issues has come up but nevertheless things seemed to be getting back to normal, and tomorrow will be a new day. Amidst the incessant jokes and laughter, I can't help but look forward to what's gonna happen next...

"...if you guys could just stop laughing!"

* * *

**Ah, the end of this arc in all its earnest! I really enjoyed writing the interactions between Amato and his friends in this chapter, a refreshing change from all the action I've been writing for him and his Famiglia. Did you guys enjoyed it as well? Was it believable? Relatable? Acceptable? Whatever you guys think, don't be afraid to tell me all about it in your reviews and I'll have the next chapter up as soon as I can!**


	70. A Very Special Day

**Author's Note:**

**Guys, question. If I release a visual novel, filled with art, music and writing by yours truly, would you guys be interested in getting it? Cause that's what I'm doing right now. With the idea of it being part of my creative portfolio I have shifted most of my free time in writing, art and music producing as well as programming the Visual Novel. But it seems I missed Amato and his friends a little bit too much to stay away completely...**

* * *

**Chapter 69: A Very Special Day.**

Some days, you find it easier to sleep in. To stay in bed, just turn off that alarm and bury yourself under the blanket. Today was one of those days. A Sunday, a holiday and best of all, none of those mandatory patrol-before-the-Famiglia-starts-patrolling-befor e-dawn patrols Kiera would assign me once every week. How I yearn to just lose myself in my dreams, to sleep till noon like a normal teenager for once...

So why am driven awake by this small hint of noise ringing through my ears?

Suddenly I'm pulled out of the sheets by instinct, rising out of bed and slipping into my flip flops. The buzzing seems to be getting louder and louder, as if something big is happening. Pushed forward by the sound, the gnawing feeling that today's a rather special occasion appeared in the back of my head.

Now if only I can figure out what is it exactly...

Digging through the wardrobe, I ended up ignoring it as I picked up my usual set of clothes before shuffling my way out of the room, dazed and barely catching the sight the calendar placed beside the grand mirror.

Out of my bedroom, the hallways seemed especially quiet today for some reason. No soft chatter littering the corridors, the sign of my Famiglia working out their daily routines. I wonder where everyone went? It's been a long while since it felt this solemn as I made my way down the flight of stairs. The steps themselves feels as though they could go on forever, reaching up into the sky or deep into the ground. Pushing through the halls, the journey to the bathroom has never felt so drawn out.

* * *

No one. I didn't see anyone even as I made my way out of my bath. The stillness of the halls are suffocating, and I can only keep the inner voice of my thoughts going for so long. Still, now freshened up, it doesn't feel as surreal as before as I made my way into the kitchen. Amidst the piles and piles of fruit and bread placed across the corners of the place, the questions can only linger for so long before a ravenous growl from the stomach took over.

Welp, at least there's still food all over the table. Last time I remember I can't cook for nuts! Hold on...

Breaking my chain of thoughts, a tray of food all covered up caught my eye. It was still warm, and the delicious scent of mildly toasted bread and freshly whipped scrambled eggs wafted through the air. Neatly placed at its side is a small note. Lured by the mesmerizing smell I took one glance at the tiny piece of embroidered paper and instantly recognized the handwriting.

"_My Lord, please pardon me for my absence. I have but a small errand to run for the day. On the table is a full set of American-styled breakfast of ham, bacon and eggs complimented by a set of your favorite french toast as well as a cup of hot cocoa on the side. I apologize for the fact that you will have to have breakfast alone, for I have granted leave a great number of the Famiglia this day. But do not fret, my Lord, for I will be back latest by dusk."_

"Kiera's gone for the day?" I can't help but ask out despite the fact that no one is there to catch it. Kiera hardly ever leaves the mansion, and today she's apparently given most of the Famiglia day off. Maybe Sergio and Johann's gone for the day as well.

"Crunch."

Biting into toast left a sweet and creamy taste in my mouth, blending well with the roughness of the bread. The morning ticks by as I sat there in the Venetian Gothic-styled kitchen, surrounded by beautiful figures carved into the stone pillars, enjoying the quiet breakfast with a peace unlike anything I've experienced before...

Scratch that, it's boring!

I can't believe it! I think I would prefer to have myself surrounded by a dozen other people rather than being alone! Even if they're just members of my Famiglia, present around me to do nothing but grace my presence alone...

This loneliness...is the worst!

"I gotta get outta here, maybe towards the garden. A little fresh air might do wonders..." Again I mutter to no one but myself as I took one last sip, pushing the creamy cocoa down the throat. The morning light has started tinting yellow, bit by bit. Before long, the restlessness grew unbearable, and I find myself kicking my way out of my seat. Grabbing an apple off the grand table I soon turned heels back into the house, making my way towards the garden at the back.

Who knows, maybe someone will be there to tell me what's so special about today.

* * *

Away from the modern sights of the city, the door leading out to the gardens opened with a gentle breeze. Winter is slowly coming to an end, and even now, the rich smell of the leaves seeped into the air. How long has it been since I last stepped foot into the garden? I think it's been a little more than a year now. Eyes tracing along the scenery, the rows of rare fauna collected over decades, the border of the garden itself slowly disappeared, blending into the outlying forest way towards the back.

The only artificial forest ever grown here in Venice, if I'm not wrong.

As the sun's light grazed the skin, I started to hear the sound of pouring water. In the sea of green, a familiar blond ponytail appeared amidst the fern. She had the same jet-black suit on, and the gentle gaze she had as she watered each and every plant showed me a side of her I've never seen before. The motherly warmth took my breath away for a good few seconds before the words came back to me.

"Sera?"

"I told you not to call me that..." She replied with calm, her eyes closing as a gentle smile stretched across her face. Almost immediately after, she turned to me with a bow. "What a surprise! Exactly what did I accomplished to have you grace me with your presence, Boss?" She gave out, looking to me with her alluring blue eyes while bearing a placid demeanor.

Because of that I can't tell if the question was sarcasm or serious. Maybe it was a bit of both.

"N-No, it's nothing like that! I'm just...wondering what you're up to, Sera..." For some reason, it became a little bit more difficult to talk. "The house feels eerie with most of the Famiglia gone, so I wanted to come relax in the garden..." Slowly I pieced together a somewhat reasonable explanation, before ultimately turning my eyes away from Sera. Her beaming smile was making me...nervous, I guess. As her eyes fell to her feet and her cheeks tint red, I watched as she started fidgeting for a bit, losing the calm she showed just seconds before.

She turned from distinguished Famiglia into a normal teenaged girl in a manner of seconds, and I felt my face heating up...

Desperate for a respite, I quickly jumped towards one of the pearl-white garden benches littered around the corners. I just realized we hadn't talked in forever, and even when we did, it wasn't to get to know each other. It was always business. I guess I'm kinda afraid? Afraid that my current image of her would disappear when I get to know the real Sera...

The next thing I know, I look back up only to see Sera having taken a seat beside me. For some reason, she still had her eyes pinned on me...

"Uh...do I have something on my face, Sera?" To break the silence I suddenly found myself croaking out.

"Nope, I'm just really glad I got to spend some time with you today, of all days..." She muttered out, before taking a deep breath and relaxing in her seat. By now she's practically no more than an inch away from where sat, and she was inching closer still. "Weird, Kiera actually told me not to disturb you for the day..." She whispered, as if mumbling to herself before her voice just kinda trailed off.

Nevertheless, her words reminded me of something. "Um, Sera? Is...today a special day or something? I can't help but feel like I'm forgetting something really important..." As the morning wind grazed against my hair, I asked out while trying my best to look back towards Sera, only to notice a weight gently pressing against my left shoulders.

Oh boy.

Sera had dozed off at my side, her breathing slow as each breath tickled the skin. I guess I'll just sit here for a while longer...

* * *

Oh look, another gust of wind drew a bunch of leaves into the air. They glide and sailed along the wind before dispersing into five different directions, disappearing into the light of the sun. Admiring the scenery is one of the few things I could do without disturbing Sera. Of course, there are worse ways to spend a morning than have a beautiful girl snoozing off by your side.

I look at Sera and can't help but wonder. She must have been really exhausted to fall asleep so easily. How long had she been keeping watch over the garden? For all I know she could have been here since last night, so maybe she's earned an hour of rest...

"Hmph..uh..hah.." Just as I convinced myself to stay still for a little while longer however, I hear the soft moaning of someone waking up. As her striking blue eyes opened, she only needed a second before she almost literally leaped away from me in surprise!

"Eyah! B-Boss! Oh my gosh, I-I fell asleep!" Immediately Sera's face went from calm to beet red as she struggled to get a hold of the situation. In truth, I didn't quite mind what happened, but something tells me speaking out to Sera right now would only make things worse.

In the end, she just pushed herself to the other end of the bench, her reddened face hanging amidst her golden bangs as she stared at the ground embarrassed.

"S-Sera?" I couldn't help it any longer. She seemed to be beating herself up a bit too much from the look on her face. "Uh...don't worry about what happened. I kept watch while you rested, and nothing happened. So..everything's..fine?" As the words continued however, she doesn't seem to be snapping out of her depressed stupor. "So um..you okay?" By now I can't help but worry. As my hand tried to reach out to her however, Sera suddenly pushed herself off the seat!

"I'm sorry...Boss. I'm sorry you had to do all of that for me..." As if too ashamed to face me, she apologized without turning to me with a shaking voice. In my seat I can't help but feel she's overreacting a tad bit too much. She's moving so quickly I'm barely able to calm her down! "Excuse me, Boss...I, uh..gotta go!" She cried out before dodging to the sides and straight for the mansion!

"Wha-what? Sera, wait up!" In a blink of an eye she just blew off from the gardens with me breaking off behind her! I ran calling her name, barely able to keep sight of her as we plunged back into the house of Zanna. Oh man, even at her back I could see her shaking in her steps as she scrambled forth, nearly tripping over her own feet every few steps. Gotta find some way to calm her down!

At least, that's the plan. But with each corridor, our steps clicking along the marble floors, I realized the distance between the two of us was growing larger. It wasn't as much as Sera getting quicker, but the fact that I'm slowing down. It only took seconds before my chest got tighter and tighter before a sharp pain seemed to struck out from my lungs.

"Hah..huff..hah..hah.."

I can't believe I'm so out of shape without my Awakening!

Dodging past the towering white pillars, the sight of the stained glass windows marked with numerous symbols seemed to fade in and out of clarity. The next thing I know I ran all the way to the main hall, and Sera's golden hair had disappeared.

"Huff..hah..hah.."Oh boy, I lost her. My feet felt like jelly, the muscles throbbing and tingling. I couldn't help but bend down clutching my chest and trying to assuaged the piercing pain. I hate the fact that my stamina's practically non-existent without my Awakening. Man, if Master was here, he would have been furious!

"Sigh, I guess Sera could use some time alone to sort out her thoughts..." I concluded as my mind gave off an apology. Catching my breath, I made my way down the arching steps leading towards the halls. Something was...ringing. And it was getting louder. I can't help but twitch as my ears starting picking it up again...

Is that..music?

As I made my way towards the huge, wooden main doors, the sounds became clearer. There were entire ensembles playing, not to mention laughter and chatter so prominent I can't help interested. Drawn by what felt like festivities beyond the doors, I wasted no time getting them open. As my hands gently pushed down on the mahogany doors, light and sound flooded into the mansion like a wave, engulfing every one of my senses! When thing became clear, a smile stretched across my face.

Oh, how did I managed to miss such a grand event?

"The day's young and we have events and food galore!" Out of nowhere, a voice started addressing t the sea of crowds through the public address system. Some people were dressed in robes and masks while others were just in casual clothes enjoying the festivities, but every one turned to listen.

"The main event is on the way, for those who just joining us, let me be the first to say, welcome to Carnevale de Venezia!"

* * *

**Yes, I finally manage to break out of my procrastination long enough to churn out another chapter! I really enjoyed writing the interactions between Amato and Sera. You guys still remember who she is? The special day has just begun, and I can't wait to write about what's gonna happen next! As usual, give me you thoughts in your reviews, I would love to hear from you guys! Suggestions, comments, critiques and even questions are all welcome, and I'll do my best to reply to every single one!**


	71. The Venetian Brawl

**Author's Note:**

**Gotta ride on the wave of inspiration! All the ideas I had planned for T3BFG is coming onto paper, because I really want to write it all out before I start to forget! I hope you guys enjoy the many arcs to come! Right now, a cute little side-arc focused around an oh-so-important day...**

* * *

**Chapter 70: The Venetian Brawl.**

The announcement called forth a wave of activity, as people scrambled their way across the streets. The sea of figures were mired between that of a modern day clothes and people in robes and masks. It was quite the sight, and the surge of warmth coming from everyone enjoying the event was something I never could have imagined. Music gushed forth at every corner of the streets as I paced my way down into town, drawn by the sheer bustle of everything that's happening before my eyes.

"Wow..." My eyes marveled at the many colors that now littered the streets, decorations of all kinds hanging from roof to roof. Giant tents popping up at every turn. The smell of food wafted through the air in a flurry, as carnival treats of all kind were available from the droves of stalls set up all over the streets.

Is this a usual scene for a carnival day? I didn't know the Carnevale was this popular!

I can't help but feel more and more excited as each second passed. I want to try out everything, the games the children were having fun trying out at this one stall. The many different flavors of popcorn I just passed, there were over ten flavors! Everything just feels so grand, so loud! This is a rare side of Venice, one I haven't seen for a long time...

The usual gushing of waves hit my ears as the main plaza came to sight, a grand spectacle of light and sound that puts all others I've seen to shame! Various street performers were piling their craft, some dancing on stilts while others breathed clouds of flames, all while a main stage took the center of attention!

"Whoa..awesome, ha ha!" My eyes couldn't find a single thing to focus on, and I ended up backpedaling around the plaza just to get a better look at all the unbelievable things the performers are pulling off!

Thud.

Suddenly my steps backwards was stopped rather abruptly, but before the loss of balance brought my face to the ground however, a firm grip held me tight by the shoulders. Overshadowed by someone taller, I turned only to catch sight of familiar strands of dark, navy blue hair flowing down the sides.

"You should really watch where you're going, Boss." Dante gave me the warning looking slightly crossed. I could do little but smile and awkwardly laugh it off before pulling myself away from him, rearranging my overshirt and hair back into place. Turning back towards him, my words were cut off as Vito appeared, with nothing less than a mountain pile of candy in his arms.

"Yo Blue, I'm back!" He cried out, seemingly unaware of my presence. Probably because of the fact that his eyes are glazing over the treats he had with him.

Hm, should I call out to him? Surprising Vito wouldn't be such a good idea right now. Don't want him dropping all of that and making a mess...

"As expected, there's tons of candy out for sale today! We've got minty Golia, anice and salvia e limone Mera and Longhi, wintergreen Fernet Menta, milky Galatine, gummy Mou, those diet Dietorelle, honey Ambrosoli, coffee Patieglie Leone and many more! Italian candies! These are the genuine articles they're selling, none of those mass-produced crap that you find in on the shelves these days!" With excitement in his eyes, Vito started picking out and naming each and every brand of candy he had in his hands in detail to Dante.

Taken aback by the outburst, the poor guy could do little but nod while breaking out a stiff smile. Tearing open a piece, it only took seconds before the urge to have one overcame Vito, and he gobbled up the tiny piece with delight. The instant reaction left him grinning in bliss, slowing sucking down on that one piece of candy.

"Wow..you're quite a maniac when it comes down to candy, huh Vito?" Before I knew it, the thoughts slipped out of my mouth as my eyes widened at the sight surprised.

"Yeah? Well I prefer the term 'Candy Connoisseur' myself..." He retorted, his gray eyes flashing up at me as he did. "..w-what?" Then, he blinked, not once but twice, seemingly in disbelief. "Amato? What are you doing here?!" All of a sudden he started lashing out at me in surprise, almost tossing his treats into the air!

"Whoa! I..uh..I just wanted to talk a walk around town. Did I..uh..do something wrong?" So shocked was I by his surprise that I ended up flinching back, stammering with my reply. As my heart calmed, I looked back to Vito only to have him flash me a confused look.

"You never come out of the house on this day!" He answered, before sinking back into his own thoughts. I tried to argue back but no words came to mind. As Vito started mowing down on his candy seemingly as a way of boosting his thoughts, Dante stepped in, pointing towards the right side of the plaza.

"Sergio and the others are over there, Boss." He gave out as calmly as ever. There they are, laughing ad chatting up a storm as they looked to the performers with eyes of admiration. Even Yoko seemed to be enjoying herself, grinning like a child as she looked to the sights and sounds with anticipation. As the wave of activity started riling up again, and the music and cheering got louder, another question popped into my mind.

"Oh, Dante, I have to ask. You guys here to enjoy the Carnevale as well?"

"Well, that's partly true-" He replied, only to have his words cut off mid sentence.

"Yoko? Hey..where are you going?! wait up!"

A familiar voice called out in distress! As our eyes turned to our right, Yoko came into sight, politely pushing her way through the crowds with furrowed brows as Sergio and Johann were chasing after her. The next thing I knew, she had stopped herself before Dante and Vito, shooting them a piercing glare for some reason. That snapped Vito back to reality.

"What are you guys doing here?" Yoko questioned with a harsh tone to her words. She certainly doesn't seem pleased in the slightest. In response, Vito and Dante only looked into each other's eyes before straightening their backs and turning back to the girl.

"Well, it's carnival day, and they have all this candies for sale in the stores so we-"

"You're here to spy on me, isn't that right?!" Just as Vito and Dante loosened their stance towards Yoko did she cut off Vito's reply with an even more overwhelming presence, her eyes now even more annoyed than before. It feels as though she just saw through a ruse, and was no less angry at their deception.

"Again that is only partly true, Miss Hayashi. In fact, the other objective is to-" Dante pitched in to the explanation as Vito's words were silenced. Even Dante was taken aback Yoko's intent.

"I don't care! Why can't you guys just leave me alone?! Who put you up to this, Kiera?!" Things were heating up, and Yoko's voice had gone from sharp words into full blown yelling.

Has Kiera ordered Dante and Vito to watch her at all times ever since she arrived in Italy? If so, I guess I can understand how someone can get so disturbed when they start losing their privacy like that. So thundering was her voice that the crowd and music seemed to die down around us. So intense was the exchange of words that Sergio, Johann and I felt we had no place to speak. If anything, I knew there was one thing I needed to do, and that's to assuage Yoko's fuming emotions.

My body moved on its own, making my way to Yoko's side. She was so distraught she barely noticed my hand pressing down gently on her shoulders.

"Yoko...just bear with it a little longer, all right? I'll speak with Kiera about this." With sincerity I gave her my word as she looked to me with eyes of anger, before they changed into worry and finally resignation.

"..hmph, if you say so, Amato."

As if right on cue to break the awkward tension a fanfare came upon us, capturing the attention of not just us, but everyone else present in the plaza. Obviously something big was going on. Within minutes of the music's start, a stage was set up, streamers popping open everywhere. It might have been my imagination, but the crowd seemed to grow as more eyes looked to the stage, as well as the emcee now turning his welcoming gaze down.

With a glint in his eyes, he spoke after a deep, dramatic breath!

"It's finally here! The highly anticipated Venetian Brawl is about to start! As before, I expect everyone knows which segment gonna be the wildest: the youths' segment! All you hot heads out there who think you got what it takes to challenge your peers and come out on top, here's your chance!" With his robes flickering in the wind, the guy gestures wildly with every word, nearly tossing aside his top hat and monocle. He certainly seems pumped up for the event!

For some reason, his enthusiasm felt contagious, and before long the crowds started cheering. I look around and saw that it wasn't just me who got distracted; Sergio, Johann, even Yoko's eyes were glued to the stage, eager to see what's gonna happen next!

"So!" As if to shock me back to reality, Sergio gave my back a tight slap, grinning somewhat as I turned to him. I don't like the look of this... "You gonna sign up for the brawl, Amato?" He asks, as if it was the most natural thing to do.

"Ooh! I always wondered how well Amato fights without going into his Awakening, you said he has a black belt in Taekwondo, right Sergio?" Too absent has Johann's voice been, that when it came it hit my ears like a truck. With a haughty smile, Sergio nodded to his question. That piqued everyone's interest, even Yoko's.

"W-What? N-No! These contests are meaningless, I am not fighting anyone just to show off like some buffoon!" I panicked, the words spilling out as my reply. Truth be told I just don't want to go up against anyone, and I never found it satisfying when practicing the martial art. Just a lot of painful memories...

"The winner gets a golden mask!" Sergio crept to my side, giving the suggestion enticingly while pointing up to the stage. There, in a glass display case embroidered with all sorts of décor, is the fabled golden mask. The bearer of the mask is said to achieve success and become the envy of others...

"No! No, I will not be tempted! No matter what you guys do, I am not getting on that stage!" I declared, shaking away the alluring thoughts. Pushing away even Yoko's expecting gaze. As Sergio and Johann laughed and brushed off the idea however, Yoko started gently pushing her way towards the stage, much to our surprise.

"Where are you going now?" Sergio asked out, after chasing after her again and catching up. The brunette only pulled a smile on her face as she replied, before continuing.

"Just..giving him a bigger incentive!"

* * *

The stage was set. Two fighters, lifted up above the crowds. The objective? To knock and throw the opponent out of the ring. Anything goes, but the usual rules apply, no foul play; no hitting between the eyes or under the belt. As the crowds cheered, the air sizzled with excitement. The rays of the afternoon sun grew strong, as if the spotlights of an in-door ring was pounding down on us. Few times has Venice held events so grand, so...celebrated. Still, there's just one little problem with this picture...

Why am I one of the two people fighting inside the ring?!

"Hragh!" The hulking beast of a man came charging! His howl was so piercing it pulled me right out of my thoughts, just enough for me to awkwardly throw myself to the sides!

Darn it, how did they managed to get me up here?

My eyes glanced to the crowds, and sure enough, within a few distance stood my Famiglia. Sergio and Johann was cheering like there was no tomorrow, their cries melding with the crowds, while Vito, Dante and Yoko focused their sights on me with unwavering eyes.

Well they certainly seem to be enjoying themselves!

"Stand still!" He roars, as his two arms came clamping down around me, looking to lock me down with his immense strength! With no footing behind me, I couldn't do much. Shutting my eyes I let my instincts and reflex take over!

"Whoa!"

The crowd gasped in unison. Even after seconds passed, there was still this silence floating around the plaza.

"No way, the dunce lucked out again! And what the heck is with that move, just seeing it makes my back hurt!" A couple of guys were the first to break the ice. It seemed a majority of my school is among the sea of people, and those guys of my class were watching me as well. I tend to hear the familiar names from class whenever they speak up. Before anything else, my eyes flew open to a scene all topsy turvy. It looked as though the world had been flipped upside down. Only it wasn't that at all.

To dodge that grip it seems my body fell backwards on itself, bending by the knees. It looks something like a fallen inverted 'L' shape, my back only inches above the crowd. At that instant, I could feel the pressure strangling down on my legs, growing more numb by the second.

"What the hell, get up, you freak! I'm gonna throw you off the stage, win this damn contest and get that girl!" He declared, amidst his grunts and yelling. The guy seemed twice my size, is he really the same age as myself? Riling up for another assault, he plunged downwards, going after the only thing keeping me balanced: my legs! "Oh, and when I win, I'm gonna do more than just get a kiss out of her!"

...right, this is why I entered this brawl.

Yoko, why'd ya have to do that? Going up onto the stage and offering a kiss for the grand winner. That got all the contestants riled up. Naturally, it's a contest of strength, so whomever who's signed up would have had the confidence to win. And that means they're either twice my size, or filled to the brim with muscles.

When they started leering at you like that, any girl would've been frightened, even you.

..but I'm not gonna let them touch you!

In middle of my thoughts, I need only focus to see right through his moves, and somewhere from my memories, the voice of my Master speaks as I reacted!

_Be wary of motion. Know where the power flows. Always try to use it against your opponent!_

As soon as his shoulder neared, I only needed a good grip to free my legs, and propel myself to the other side in an instant, flying over the guy's head with elegance! This time, the move was too fast for any reaction, from both the crowd and my opponent.

_And always apply restraint!_

"Tap."

Directing the power of his charge into the ground, a single back kick from my right leg was all it took to send him crashing down the stage. No more, no less.

"Smash!"

"Augh...what happened?" The guy asked out as he picked himself up, peeling his body off the ground. In the sweltering heat I realize I'm sweating bullets from the intense concentration, something that shouldn't happen, and marveled at the impression I left in the crowd. As wind grazed against my cheeks in the face of the carnival bands, the emcee finally started moving, scrambling for his microphone.

"W-We..we have a winner! The underdog of the first round, Amato Zanna!" The gentleman declared even as he pushed away his disbelief.

"Yeah!"

It took seconds, but when they did, they crowds cheered up a storm!

Everything after that was smooth sailing. There weren't many contestants to start with, about ten of them I think. I guess it's a good thing to enter after all. My body hasn't trained outside of the Awakening for a while, and when under stress, the adrenaline served as a refresher for all the things I learned in Taekwondo!

"Hah!" I cried out in a short jab as I started another round with a front snap kick!

"Guh!" In the face of such a powerful move, the captain of Venice High's boxing club could do little but dodge. That brought him out to the open, though, and with two sharp jabs from my elbows, I loosened him up enough for me to push him into the air with my right foot, before throwing him out the ring!

"Crash!"

Of course I made sure it was just enough force to send him rolling and not break any of his bones...

Some rounds were...a lot harder than others, though. One had a fencer who could hide his intent well enough to land a few good jabs at my ribs. Another was an observant guy who overwhelmed me with his grapples, enough for me to rush a victory out of that round!

Here comes the final round, and I'm up against...?

The masked guy wore robes that touched the ground, and behind the cloth I could barely see his form. The Bauta mask, with its prominent nose and a thick ridge, shone gold and white as it hung from his face. Even the eye-holes seemed so dark I could barely make out his expression. As the emcee announced the start of the round and the bell was struck, he broke into a dash towards me at a speed so fast it carried with him the wind. Just like a human bullet!

"Crack."

Just as I expected a blow coming at speed that made me doubt whether I'm fast enough to dodge, the masked man stomped his foot into the stage, and the sound of wood splitting could be heard. Ripples of force could be picked up from my feet, just by standing on the same stage as him! In sharp motions, a wave of force surged as his two arms stretched out towards me!

"Thud."

"Graugh!" They were too fast, and though it felt no more than a tap, I was sent reeling back even as I held my stance! When the force died down, I realized I was already at the edge of the ring. One more inch and I would've lost!In a slight panic I sought to return to more even ground, charging and leaping into the air faster than I could think!

"Hrah!" Twisting my body, I aimed my heel towards his body in a reverse side kick!

He made no sound even as his arms stretched out once more, taking a hold of my leg. In swift, precise movements he twisted off trajectory, whisking into the front before clamping down on my neck, all while I was still in the air! The next thing I know I'm tossed around like some rag doll, my vision spinning all over as my face slammed into the ground!

"Crash!"

"Guh! Augh!" His weight pressed down on me like an anvil. Even as he towers over me right now, his hand crushing down my neck and locking down my leg, I still can't make out his face behind the mask!

No way, I didn't expect such technique from someone in Venice! At least, not outside the underworld! His form and movement...is he using a particular Chinese martial art? Kung Fu? For some reason those large concentrated strikes reminds me of someone...

Still, now isn't the best time to be contemplating anything, not when I'm at his mercy pressed down like this! A glance to the side showed me a scene of the plaza held in suspense, everyone's eyes were glued to the stage. Even the street performers had stopped whatever they were doing and turned to the stage. Desperate to free myself, my fingers came together as I aimed for his elbow, launching towards the joint a heavy chop!

"Kuh!" That worked, and with a pained grunt beneath the Bauta, he staggered back. Seizing the chance, I threw my arms and neck back while swinging my legs free! After what felt like a sharp thud on my shin, I pushed with all my might and flipped back on my two feet, stumbling a bit as my vision recovered from the inertia.

Wait a minute, that's..

The mask. The Bauta mask lays flat on the ground. Did I somehow knock it off the guy's face in my attempt to recover myself? Tracing back up to the guy in robes, he just stood there at the opposite side of me, rubbing down on his jaw. His face came into view at last, and that made me wonder why I didn't think of him in the first place! Besides the neat, tapered blond hair and the wild smile there's only one other person I know who fights with moves like that...

Even the crowd weren't immune to his reveal, chattering up amongst themselves the instant his face came to light. Though they seemed more excited than not. That's not good.

"Oh ho!" Out of nowhere the emcee started talking again, the voice cutting into my ears from the P.A systems. He seemed thrilled, but the words that came after was what made me doubt my chance of winning this thing. "It seems the mysterious challenger 'Anon' is none other than our grand champion four years in a row!" He declared, the few words enough to make my jaw drop.

"The champ is back! It's the underdog against the reigning champion! Amato Zanna versus Fionn De Luca!"

* * *

******Huh, it seems the story planned came out longer than I thought, and I'll be splitting it up into two chapters instead. I guess I like cliffhangers and reveals at the end of chapters, for a stronger impact if nothing else. As before, give me your thoughts on the chapter in your reviews below, I'd love to hear them! ********As for myself, can't wait to write out the conclusion of the brawl in the next chapter!**


	72. Festa Degli Innamorati

**Author's Note:**

**In the midst of the pickle Amato got into for the sake of his Famiglia, he now finds himself face to face with the White Titan once more. Only this time, he's standing before the anticipating eyes of the public! Truth be told, I didn't plan to feature Fionn again, but I realized it's been too long since he appeared, he's due for some more screen-time I think!**

* * *

**Chapter 71: Festa Degli Innamorati.**

In the corner of my eyes I saw Sergio widen his eyes in slight panic. Even Dante and Vito's look turned sour. Can't blame them, I thought this was gonna be a little more than a contest. Who'd have thought I'd be facing the White Titan on stage?!

Steeling myself, caution washed over me as memories of what happened last year started seeping back. Fionn on the other hand, looked calm. In fact, he grinned a the sight of the cheering public, taking it all in as if he belonged on a stage like this; reveling in the chanting of his name, wind rustling through his golden hair...

"Well, guess I don't need that anymore." Casually, he tosses out the remark as his leaf green eyes fell to the Bauta mask at his feet. Flicking his wrist and sleeve, the guy looked to me with a different light in his eyes. Somehow I'm get the idea that he's getting excited, like a predator getting excited over his prey.

"Gulp." At the thought I couldn't help but swallow with worry.

"I never thought you were into this kinda stuff, Zanna. My opinion of you has gone up...even if it's only a little." The White Titan put it to my face bluntly, trying his best to conceal his eagerness to get on with the fight. Amidst the chanting of his name, Fionn's smile vanished. With but one word his assault reignited!

"Come!"

As if we're completely in sync, the very stage rippled as we broke into a charge! Thoroughly enjoying what's happening, Fionn met my gritting teeth and beads of sweat with a bestial smile. Though he seemed less than serious, his attacks still felt as heavy as before, propelled by what looked like slow, acute movement when in reality they shot at me like bullets!

"Huragh!" From the White Titan came a roar not unlike a beast's, and as I threw my punches at his sides, he would take but one step forward. His body surges forth at the command, and while my arms struck what felt like soft, relaxed muscles behind his robes, Fionn's arms lunged back at me like snakes!

"Crack!"

Like steel, his open palms dug into my chest, striking my ribs with a loud audible noise that seemed to ring in my ears. Even before my body reacted, reflex drove my right leg up into the air, locking down on Fionn's neck before I was pushed aside by the momentum of his attack! As soon as I got what feels like a grip I threw him back, only to have my vision spinning as I lose my foothold on the stage!

"Gragh!" Then the pain spiked, fiery heat seared my chest. As my vision wavered for a split second, I realized my throw has been countered! Not only that, Fionn once again has me in a joint-lock, his right arm around my right leg, his right knee pressing down on my hips and his left arm locking my arms as we came crashing onto the side of the grand stage!

"Thump!"

"Guh! Argh!" I knew it, I couldn't win against Fionn last year, and that time I fought him in my Awakening! Even as I am right now, no matter how much I struggle, his weight and limbs has me tied down. Pain gnawed at numerous points of my body and I'm sweating bullets, but he, in his thick, elaborate costume, has barely broken a single sweat!

"Whoa!" Of course, I suspect our fast flying moves made for some great entertainment, as the crowd were driven wild as soon as they were able to catch their breath!

"A spectacular display by the two of them, if I might say so myself! Though it seems it's clear who's gonna be the victor!" Following the crowd's reaction, the emcee yelled into his microphone like there's no tomorrow, possessed by the excitement of the match!

The very scene felt like deja vu, the same re-enactment as what happened when Fionn had his mask on. This time, however, my arms are locked in a vice-grip, rendering me unable to chop my way free like before! His instincts and reflexes are nothing to laugh at, and he seems to be able to adapt his fighting to the situation in the blink of an eye.

The more I thought about it, the more impossible it seem to strike a victory against the White Titan...

"Huh, you stopped struggling. What's the matter, you givin' up?" The guy asked out despite tightening the grip around my body.

Is he serious? I can't think of a reason why he's trying to talk to me at a time like this instead of focusing on throwing me out the ring except to gloat or to taunt, and both of those things seemed foolish. Trying to remain focused on the brawl my eyes zipped towards the various limbs holding me down.

If I could just locate the one under the least pressure I'll be able to pull myself free and break out of this deadlock!

"I can't believe you fought Kiera without her shield before and survived. She must really like you to be able to hold back that much power." Fionn gives out as if he's chatting to a friend, completely disregarding the fact that we're supposed to be tussling with each other. His brow furrowed as he started pondering on the subject, confused. "You may have had a taste against her Eight Extremities Fist...but it's nothing compared to my Supreme Ultimate Fist." Fionn boasted, showing none of the humility that's supposed to come from a practitioner of Martial Arts.

Annoyed by all the blabbering, I finally ripped my left leg free from the crushing weight of his knee lock!

"Stop it, I don't wanna hear another word from you!" Breaking out of my silence, my detest flooded out all at once. At the same time, the left leg came down at his right shoulder in an impromptu axe kick! It would be lacking in power, but it should be enough to do one thing!

"Crack!"

"Kuh!" There it is! Struck by a sudden blow, his right arm released its demon grip, and for the split second my legs were free!

And that one second was all I needed.

"Hragh!" A sharp yell summoned my strength as I raised my legs, stretching them to the sides. Trusting my instinct, they homed in on Fionn's neck like a giant pincer! Catching sight of the attack, Fionn freed his left hand, and raised both arms to the sides, hugging them close and pointing them upwards in an attempt to block. Fionn was fast, but even I could see that move was not fast enough!

"Snap!"

"Augh!" His arms managed to block and divert some of the power, but the kick still went through, digging into both sides of his neck. I'm surprised he only staggered back with a cry, an average person would have passed out from the shock of the blow! With no stopping my momentum, my legs kicked back in unison as my entire body was thrust into the air, pushed along by my arms. With a sharp flip I'm back on my two feet. As soon as they formed a stance, the image flashed into my mind, and I kicked to the ground in a mad dash towards Fionn!

The Supreme Ultimate Fist seems to focus around a philosophy of balance, particularly the divergence and redirection of power. In that case...

"Hack!" Stomping down right before him, I shot out my right leg, sending him a front snap kick! As expected, Fionn need only throw his palm out to catch the kick and stomp the ground to divert the incoming blow! But my assault doesn't stop there. Continuing the flow of movement and not wanting to lose the speed and momentum, my body sprung forth with a jumping front kick!

"Guragh!" Like a hawk, Fionn's eyes traced my movements, and as his right shoulder shoved itself forward to receive the blow, his left fist acted as a counterweight. As my feet met his side, the push was enough to propel the fist right into my left knee!

Crack.

"Gah! Argh!" I couldn't help but wince in pain at the horrible blow, but I wasn't planning to stop, not yet! As soon as the blow came, it sent my left leg swinging, and that set the stage for the next move! Dropping my left leg to the ground. my hips twisted hard to drive my right leg swinging forth in the other direction, sending a tornado kick flying at Fionn's head!

"Hup!" In his cry, Fionn moved in one swift motion, gently catching the kick that could have easily rearranged someone's face with his two palms. After receiving the blow he took one step forward before swinging a monstrous kick to my side!

No way, he manged to divert my tornado kick?!

"Thud!" Despite my surprise, my body moved, pumped full of adrenaline. My arms threw themselves around his leg, locking it in place as soon as it got close. As if beckoned by the thick air and the heat of the crowd, my hips turned, even as my eyes locked themselves with Fionn's. As soon as the angle aligned, my left leg shot at him with a horse kick!

"Uwah!" At this short a distance, my feet dug into his stomach, clean in the middle, the strength and speed of my turn enough to drive him off his feet, and in turn off the stage itself! His robes fluttering, Fionn was sent hurling towards the stone pavements. The last thing I saw from him was a look of absolute surprise flashing across the light of his eyes.

"Slam!"

"Hah..hah..hah..hah..huu.." In the stillness atop the stage, the rush subsided, and the air started to cool. Every muscle in my body burned as I made my way to the edge of the stage, staring down as my vision sharpened itself into focus. My mind, despite the torrent of thoughts, wanted nothing more than to understand what happened. Fionn lay motionless on the ground, his embroidered robes sprawled all over, his neat golden hair now in a mess.

Then suddenly there was a twitch.

"Gawd! That was a painful mistake..." Like a toy, Fionn just popped up and assumed a cross-legged position, rocking back and forth as his arm rubbed down hard on the back of his neck.

What the heck?! I can't believe it! He doesn't even look like he was hurt by any one of my kicks let alone gone through five rounds of the venetian brawl! Is he..even human? Cause I'm asking myself that question right now and I can scarcely believe he is judging from the fact that he looks uninjured even now!

As the questions kept screaming in my mind, my eyes glanced to the sides only to meet with the astonished eyes of the crowds. A second later, their look of suspense were replaced with smiles that stretched from cheek to cheek! Out of nowhere a hand pulled me back by my right shoulder!

"Heeee diid iiiiiiiiit!" Suddenly, the P. came to life, and the emcee's declaration rocked the streets! The victory fanfare exploded in an array of cheers as I realized the emcee somehow sneaked his way onto the stage and to my side!

"The Venetian Brawl welcomes a new champion! The piercing fang, Amato Zanna!"

In the constant cheer of the sea of faces now chanting my name, I can't help but smile as I scratched my cheek, eyes tracing along the stage as I made my way towards the emcee. The brawl had come to an end, and despite the surprise, it seems they haven't forgotten about the award ceremony. Out from the previously sealed glass case came a mask that glistened under the light. A dozen different colors accompanying the gold, the assortment of jewels, feathers and embroidery looked marvelous, even as Yoko fixed it onto my face.

"I'm really glad you were the one who won in the end, Amato..." Yoko mumbled bashfully as her face came into view. "I didn't expect the guys in Italy to be so...barbaric." She continued, with a rather scorching remark. It seems she no longer possess the fire from before. She doesn't seem angry anymore.

"Yeah, me too, although offering that kiss was a dumb idea to begin wit-"

"Oof!" Before I could finish, a clenched fist took a sharp jab at my ribs, shutting me up almost immediately. If the punch didn't do it, Yoko's darkened stare would've definitely did. I think it's best if I just drop that remark entirely.

"You don't have to say it..." Yoko whispered as she leaned close, her face softening up again. The scent of her hair, the faint sweetness coming from her was too much, and the next thing I know I'm going stiff, my eyes turning away from Yoko completely. However, Yoko was having none of it, it seems, as she pulled my gaze right back. Shifting the mask to the side, I felt my face flushed with heat as something soft pressed itself against my cheek.

I wasn't expecting anything, but I guess a promise is a promise. At least for Yoko it is.

* * *

The afternoon sun now drifts along the sky, as if eager to go down into the horizon. The bright, yellow sky slowly darkens into a deep sea of orange as my steps took me further down the streets of Venice, into the small alleys that dragged me away from the music and festivities. The more I push my steps down the stone paths, the more prevalent the memory becomes. As reluctant as I am, the scene of what happened replaying in mind serves as a reminder, and perhaps encouragement as to why my steps took me here.

_I had followed my way off stage with Yoko, too flustered to say anything. When I finally plucked the courage to speak again, she suddenly shot a glance at me, her face dyed crimson. Amidst her slight trembling I thought she was stricken with fever before she bolted off without a single word, her red shirt and jeans quickly disappearing into the crowds!_

"_Y-Yoko?!" Immediately we broke out of the calm, with Sergio giving chase as soon as she went past him. Johann quickly scrambled after the two with a laugh, and with a nod my way Dante and Vito went off chasing after their footsteps._

_I guess they still had their job to do. More importantly, did..I do something wrong? Was that the reason why Yoko ran off?!_

_The last to snap out of the daze and realize what's happening, I was just about to follow, catching sight of Vito's auburn hair vanishing down the streets, when someone's voice stopped me at my feet._

"_Oi, Amato!"_

_The one person who's screeching call has always grind my thoughts to a halt, ever since his sister had to leave their house to become the Zanna Mansion's caretaker. Fionn made his way towards me with slight admiration in his eyes, much to my surprise._

"_That last move...you practiced Taekkyeon?"He asked out, pushing his face close as his piercing gaze pressed for answers. Of course, as with most of the questions Fionn tosses my way, I have no idea what he's talking about._

"_Uh..yes? I mean, no!...I dunno, I just followed my instincts." Fumbling with my words I finally gave him the truth, taking a small step back every time he came close. Fionn didn't seem entirely convinced though, as he started looking with my way with eyes tinged with suspicion._

"_Huh..good instincts." He finally commented with a rather skeptical tone. Further sorting out his deep thoughts he then turned back to me again. "You've gotten stronger, definitely. And your potential..near limitless.."He mumbled as his eyes scanned my body from top to bottom._

_Although I was barely paying attention because of what he said. It may have been nothing more than acknowledgment, but it's the first time Fionn praised me of anything! It feels strange talking talking to him like this. Usually he would have nothing for me but sarcasm and disdain._

_It's unexpected...but a pleasant surprise nonetheless._

"_Snap!"_

"_Hey, you still there, kid?" Just as the thought came to mind, Fionn brought me back with a sharp flick of his finger, right in the center of my forehead!_

"_Gah, ouch! Fionn, why'd ya have to do that?! Just when I start thinking you're actually a nice guy-!" I cried out, clutching down on my forehead with my hands before shutting right up when I saw how annoyed he started looking._

"_I'm nice when I wanna be, but that's not the point! I just don't want you to get carried away by what I said!" He stated with clarity, with what sounded like a hint of concern in his tone of voice. His robes swaying from side to side, he made his way to my side in a heartbeat, his eyes turning to the skies above as he continued. "You still have a long way to go before you're Boss level standard, in terms of strength anyhow." He may have been telling me off, but the smile on his face made it clear that my growth left him quite an impression._

"_All right then, on to the second reason why I stopped you..." Just as a sense of happiness washed over me, brought forth by his words, Fionn turned back to me with his old, piercing eyes. Somehow a certain saying started repeating itself in my mind, and I shuddered._

_For all good things must come to an end._

"_I saw what happened on stage earlier, Zanna!" _

_It was jarring. _

_His tone of voice warped from calm to furious in the split of a second. Jumping back almost on reflex, my mind cringed at the thought of what's gonna happen next! "I'm a guy and all, so I sort of understand, but what about Kiera?" He pressed on, his voice accentuating the last few words._

"_Uh..well..you see.." It was a volatile situation, so much so that no word could come to mind. None which would help in this situation anyways. My eyes widened to the point of almost giving out, I ended up resigning myself to Fionn and whatever he had for me in mind._

"_Smash!" Then, all of a sudden he threw his fist at the wall beside him in a light knock, and the wall cracked and split from that one move alone!_

"_Considering the occasion, I think it's a good idea to go spend some time with my sister."Fionn ordered, his words seeping out of his gritting teeth and forced smile._

"_B-But I have no idea where she is!" I argued on reflex, barely squeezing the words through his overwhelming presence. Not to mention what did he mean by 'occasion'..? Just as I looked to Fionn for an answer, I'm instead met with clenched fists and an extremely annoyed disposition._

_Uh oh._

"_GO FIND KIERA RIGHT NOW!"_

"_Yessir!"_

And so here I am. To this little shop in the corner of the city. The one shop that's said to have whatever you need, so long as you ask. I know Fionn kinda pushed me into this whole thing, but I guess I'm just as guilty for agreeing to do it. Besides, now I'm interested to find out what Kiera's doing right now, and what was so important that she had to take time away from the mansion to and travel here into the city to see to.

With a slight push, the doors to the wooden store creaked open. White light poured out from within as the swiveling stopped.

"Ding ding!"

The bell chimed lightly as I walked in. Immediately the atmosphere changed. A more serene, isolated scene within the store replaces the festive reality out in the streets. Pushing my way through the golden shelves filled with crafts and toys of every kind, a small lamp hanging from the wall revealed the sight of an antique wooden counter, right at the very end of the store. It feels magical just standing there within the store itself, so much so that I found myself lingering around, not wanting to leave the slightest bit.

"Ah, a customer!" A mellow voice cut into the silence just as my hands reached out for the ornate ring at the side of the counter. From the other side came an old man with droopy eyes behind glasses and a scalp full of aged white hair. Though his movement subtle, his eyes grew bright when he came into light. He must be the shopkeeper.

"No, I uh.." Though the words spilled forth without much thought, I couldn't find myself finishing the sentence before the sight of the shopkeeper's hopeful eyes. I was reluctant to buy anything, but looking down at the ring in hand; a simple band of silver that seemed to gleam ever so slightly, I changed my mind.

"I'll just have this, Signore."

"Good lad." With a nod at my answer, my heart lightened at the sight of a pleasant smile stretching across the shopkeeper's wizened face. The price was no problem. With a spring to his steps, he gladly accepted my notes before moving on to hand-wrap the ring I bought. The effort he put in down to the smallest detail showed me just how experienced he is at his profession.

"So you're the young man I've been hearing so much about...Amato Zanna, right?" As his eyes fell to his work, he started talking, his very words taking me aback.

Huh? The shopkeeper knows my name?

"Do I..know you, signore?" Immediately I raised the question in response. I can't help but cast suspicion as I did, much to my own chagrin.

I mean, the idea of this old man being an assassin is ridiculous! Not to mention, it feels disrespectful to even consider such a thing without anything to go on...

"Oh ho, no! We never met in person, but old Piero's memory hasn't failed him yet!" The shopkeeper answered heartily, laughing to himself from his side of the counter. Just as surprise came over me, one word from the guy drew back into focus.

"Signore...Piero? You're the one Fionn mentioned!" As the realization hit me, I couldn't help crying out. That's right, Fionn did say something about the shopkeeper being a close friend to house De Luca. Apparently, signore Piero's the person to go to if I wanna know where to find Kiera!

"Oh, you met Fionny, did'cha?" Signore Piero continued right after hearing Fionn's name.

"Pfft!" The nickname he had for Kiera's brother had me burst into a laugh so abruptly I had to press it back down with a hand to my mouth! "Yeah...by the way, signore Piero, do you know where to find Kiera? Fionn said you're the best person to ask..." As a slight chuckle slipped out, I found myself asking Piero the question right after. If I carried on chatting like this, the sky would probably turn dark by the time I stepped back out into the streets. Perking with interest as he handed me the ring all wrapped up, signore Piero's eyes glanced to the side with a smile stretching across his face.

If I didn't know any better, it looked like he was hatching an idea in mind.

"Sure lad, I'll tell you where Kiera is, if you agree to help me deliver something." Out of nowhere signore Piero suddenly gave out his condition, his face brightening up as he did. They say with age comes wisdom, but I think signore Piero may have gotten more than wisdom with the years. A bit of cunning seems to have sneaked its way in as well.

"Delivery? You mean you want me to get something to another of your customer?" Without much thought I just reacted to his words, gracefully accepting the stuff I bought.

"Yes. You don't mind helping an old man out, yeah? The store's been mighty busy..." Signore Piero explained, even as he stood with a smile behind the register, awaiting my answer. Even as I turned around only to be greeted by the solemn silence and vast empty spaces between the shelves. Just what is he so busy with?

Well, beggars can't be choosers. I suppose a favor for a favor seems appropriate at a time like this.

"All right, Signore Piero, I'll do it. So now can you tell me where to go to find Kiera?" With care, I once again asked the question with eager. In his small joy the old man scrambled and fumbled around the counter at the back before popping back up at me with a wrapped gift the size of my palm. Only when I accepted it did he took out a piece of paper, and hastily wrote down what seemed like more than a few lines of words.

"Here you are, the directions you'll need to go to find Kiera." Signore Piero instructed as he stuffed the piece of paper into my hands. "Head to Rialto Bridge, just a few blocks from here. The one to receive that delivery will be there." Piero continued, even as I waved goodbye and turned to the door, with both gifts in hand.

"Thank you very much, signore Piero!" Out of gratitude I gave him my thanks with a smile. It's always interesting to meet new people, and this meeting has certainly been a pleasant one. As my hands closed down on the ornate, metal knob and the wooden door creaked open, Piero called out from the counter again. One last thing to say before I head back out to the streets.

"Young man, make sure to read that note only after you've completed the delivery!"

* * *

The faint smell of salt gets stronger as I pushed my way past the stone walls and closer to the grand canal. The Venetian Gothic architecture opened up to white stone as the Rialto Bridge came into sight. It arches over the grand canal, a symbol of this city for as long as I could remember. It isn't just a simple, stone bridge though. For centuries, numerous architects and designers took part in refurbishing the Rialto Bridge, and commerce gave birth to various shops littered by the sides. Covered from one end to the next, the grand majesty of the bridge remained a breathtaking sight to behold, from both up close and afar.

It's a famous tourist attraction, and people would fill the twenty meters-wide bridge from one corner to the next. But for some reason, it was quite empty by the time I started climbing the thing. Perhaps the Carnavale's the cause, but I could only see about a dozen figures sprawled atop the bridge. Most were just passing by, crossing their way from one end of the grand canal to the next.

Only one person stood in the center, looking out into the sky and the orange sun. Whoever it was, they stood out like a sore thumb, hooded and dressed in robes that touched the ground and covered their feet. A deep, cordovan color amidst Rialto's faded white.

"Um, excuse me..." I called out to the mysterious, robed figure, eyes transfixed on the detailed embroidery flowing down the sides. Somehow they seemed familiar, yet different. "...are you the one who's expecting a package?"

The figure twitched at my words, and a sudden gust of wind revealed strands of golden hair as the person's profile came to view from inside the hood. "Hm? Why yes, I suppose that's correct..." From the face still partially covered, a distinctly feminine voice replied. And one I'm so very familiar with.

"K-Kiera?!" Upon recognizing the voice, I blabbered out the name in surprise. Similarly, the figure flustered as the hands pulled back the hood as the face turned to me. Kiera's sparkling green eyes appeared amidst her unblemished skin, looking just as surprised as I was. The only difference about the picture though, was the fact that she had her hair down. A sea of golden hair flew with the wind, and reached for her shoulders.

"Lord Amato?! You're..you came out of the mansion on this day?" Immediately I was assaulted with words of concern from my caretaker, so out of place that I couldn't come up with anything in response. Just like Vito, she seemed wildly surprised to see me, almost a bit too much. "How are you feeling? Are you okay, my lord?"

It's too much. I've been so accustomed to how Kiera looks with braids that I never imagined how she'd look otherwise. The new look is just...stunning!

"I-I-I uh...I-I'm fine!" Suddenly washed with heat and emotion I can't help but stammer with words as my eyes jerked to the sides. To keep myself distracted, my fingers dug deep into my pockets before stumbling forth with the package I'm supposed to deliver, nearly tossing it at Kiera as I did. "T-This is for you!" I nearly yelled out those words as I stilled my shaking hands before pressing it towards her direction.

"Y-You got me something?" In slight surprise, the girl with golden hair gently accepted the package, and with haste, started tearing it open. She did turn away to the edge of the bridge when she did, though. As soon as her gaze turned, I fumbled through my overshirt for that tiny piece of paper, curious and worked up over what Piero had written.

Did he set all this up so that I would meet with Kiera? If so, why couldn't he just tell me about it?

As the thoughts pulsed in my mind, somewhat calming my excited disposition, I finally got the slip of paper out. Cursive words appeared on white surface as I unfolded the thing, eyes scanning the message from the very first word...

_The person you seek is standing right before you. I suppose there's little reason for you to read this after all, huh? Still, the poor girl's been quiet these few weeks. Her eyes would fall to the ground as if stricken by thoughts unwanted. Since you're the guy she talks about all the time, I figured a little gift from you might just pull her a smile on her face. Even more so considering the occasion._

_Thanks for helping out,_

_Piero_

"...lucchetti dell'amore." Facing away from me, Kiera's voice mumbled, catching my attention even before I could react to the message Piero had written.

Locks...of love? I think I heard about that. The story written a few years ago, of young lovers tying down chains with a padlock on with their names inscribed on it, then throwing away the key into the nearby river. That way, their love would forever be connected, and never driven apart.

Almost immediately my eyes caught sight of the things! Thousands of padlocks littered along the sides of Rialto, hidden behind the stone, each with its own initials carved on the surface of the lock-

Suddenly, I'm swallowed up by something soft. Dazed for a few seconds, I only realized it was someone's arms wrapping themselves around my chest. Kiera, with a goofy smile sprawled across her reddened face, squeezed herself close with delight, hugging me hard. Overwhelmed by the sensation, the faint scent of her hair and her look embarrassed my mind and body came into a grinding halt. I could neither think nor hug Kiera back...

"Festa degli innamorati...I can't believe you came out of the house today just to give this to me! Thank you so much, Amato!" Kiera exclaimed excitedly, with a face I had never seen on her before. A hopeful look in her eyes, a strong contrast to the usual, calculating look she puts on, and a smile so bashful it all but captured my heart! When she let go, I saw what she got from the package; an ornate padlock black and gold, with a long set of chains. The writing 'A+K' was all that was inscribed on the surface. No wonder the package felt so heavy compared to its size.

Skipping her way back to the stone columns raised at the edge of Rialto, she carefully had the padlock chained down tight. With me staring at her back, she hurled the key into the canal with all her might!

"Splash!"

And just like that, the silver key disappeared into the brackish waters. As if just realizing what she did, I saw from behind how Kiera collected herself, straightening her back and rearranging her messed up robes. Then she glanced back towards me, and I could still see her cheeks flushed red.

"Ahem...I'll see you back at the mansion, Lord Amato." She gave out before trotting back in the direction of the Zanna mansion, slowly disappearing into the streets of Venice.

My body however, was still as hard as stone, and just as immovable. Numerous thoughts seeped into my head; everything that's happened today, how Kiera just reacted at the gift, my own troubled feelings. But one thing lingered, pushing away all others. A certain phrase Kiera mentioned.

Festa degli Innamorati.

When I realized, I can't help but bring my palm to my face in shock.

"Oh man, how the heck did I forget...?" I didn't catch sight of the calendar today, I didn't have a good look at all. "Today's February 14th...Valentine's day...and.." Time flew by in a blink of an eye. I didn't realize it was already here. No wonder I was feeling so frustrated earlier today. Today's a special day, no doubt. More so for myself than any other...

"...my birthday."

* * *

**Well, it seems that the day of love and affection doubles as the day Amato came to this world! The tenth boss of the Zanna Famiglia must have had a lot on his mind to have even forgotten his own birthday! What's gonna happen next now that everything's clear? Is a birthday celebration, one fit for a mafia boss, in order? Keep your eyes open for the next chapter to find out, as this mini-arc comes to an end!**


	73. That Which Was Forgotten

**Author's Note:**

**Uh..Hey guys, it's time for the birthday arc to come to an end. It'll be my first time delving more into personal relationships and maybe a bit of romance, and with no first-hand experience, I apologize in advance if its too over-the-top and unrealistic(Which I hate to see in my stories). All right..here we go!**

* * *

**Chapter 72: That Which Was Forgotten.**

Things died down rather quickly, and before I knew it, I was walking down the stone pavements with little but the gushing sound of the canals and the laughter of children disappearing in the distance. My mind housed a storm of thoughts, and from those thoughts memories appeared. Memories I had chosen to block out and forget...

"_Lord Amato, today's your special day! Get those lazy bones out of those bedsheets because we have a whole slew of activities planned-!"_

"_Dad...?"_

_With eyes staring at the ceiling, my words drove Kiera into silence. Only after an uneasy cough did she finally spoke again._

"_...I am sorry, Lord Amato, but your Father's whereabouts are still unknown. He's still missing.."_

"_Stop. Stop it, stop talking...and get out."_

"_But Lord Amato-!"_

"_I SAID GET OUT!"_

The booming of my voice, the feeling of anger and frustration overcoming every inch inch of my being, it's certainly a rarity. Still, there was no reason for me to act like that, and just remembering it had my face dropping down in shame. Worse of it all, I had actually blissfully forgotten about all of those mishaps. Or rather, it feels like I ignored it all out.

"I was such a jerk. No wonder they acted so surprised when they saw me out of the house today, enjoying myself without a care in the world..."

My birthday was one of the few days Dad would never fail to come home from his 'work' in Venice. Even when I moved into the mansion, it would be the one day we would have all to ourselves, to do whatever we want together, and celebrate my birthday. There were times when I missed my Father. Every so often I find myself getting depressed, especially when I was younger, but it was on my birthdays that I missed him the most.

Almost stumbling in my steps, the voices from my memories only got more and more intense.

"_Lord Amato? Lord Amato, cease your childish tantrums. Whatever the case, your duty is now clear; you are to succeed and inherit the role of Boss. Today is your tenth birthday, and so as tradition dictates-!"_

"_Clang!"_

_The prominent speech was interrupted by my act of tossing my cutlery on the table. I've had it! I couldn't swallow another bite of my brunch with Kiera's nagging. The fact that black-suited men sat around the dining table, eyes piercing into my soul as they looked at me didn't help either. Before long, the one who looked the most annoyed slammed his fist on the table before pushing himself off his seat!_

"_Enough of this drama! Valkyrie, if he is too much of a coward to accept the reality of the situation then he is not fit to inherit the throne! Your father is dead kid! The sooner you get over that, the better it'll be for all of us; for Venice! If I knew my job today was to come to the mansion and babysit a kid with daddy issues I would've stayed home! What a waste of time!"_

"_Shut up! Shut up! Shut up! You guys don't care about what happened to Dad, not one bit! I just...wanna see him again..." His words were like daggers that stabbed right into my heart, and things only got worse after that. My mind got more and more confused, upset. At that point in time I didn't want to care about traditions, about being boss about Mafia or anything else._

_I just wanted to be alone. If I waited alone, maybe Dad would finally come home, just like he always would._

"_You obviously don't care about tradition, so why should we care about you?" The guy retorted._

"_Then get out! Every single one of you! Those are your traditions, not mine! I don't want to see another gun, another black suit or anything that has to do with the Mafia ever again!" I screamed out in a burst of emotions, kicking my way out of my seat before losing myself completely._

"_LEAVE!"_

Drowning in the chaos of my thoughts, my body slumped itself into the seat. Digging my head into my arms, I wasn't sure if what I was feeling. Of course, the Zanna Famiglia didn't exactly leave the mansion forever; they needed it for their daily operations. As the years passed, I got...used to their presence, and their activities. I grew to sympathize with them when I saw their injuries, their sacrifices; to admire them for their loyalty, and care for them.

Still, my birthdays were the worse, and in time the Zanna Famiglia learned to leave me alone on February fourteenth each year...

"Sigh...What a birthday..." I muttered out with a heavy breath. When my eyes finally pulled itself up from the bare table I'm at, I realized someone in uniform was standing before me, probably waiting for my order.

"...sorry, I'll just take a cup of mocha latte."

Too distraught to even look at her as I spoke, the waitress surprised me with a familiar voice.

"Well Amato, we're just about to close shop, but maybe I can squeeze in one last order for you." Gina cheerfully answered my halfhearted order with a smile before trotting her way into the store. Almost as if she knows I'm upset. Apparently, all that wandering led me right to her cafe, of all places.

* * *

After her shift I offered to walk Gina home, but for some reason we ended up on a gondola, floating our way down the grand canals, just the two of us. Usually this sort of situation would have gotten me as stiff as a rock, too flustered to talk to the beautiful girl sitting beside me, but this time, I ended up putting out my thoughts as soon as Gina started asking. Her ebon hair complimenting the soft color of her yellow blouse, she listened eagerly to my rant, sat there with poise as I vented out whatever frustrations I had...

"Huh, Sergio have said something about your father's disappearance, but I never knew how difficult it had been for you..." Looking towards the streets, the waters, I could have sworn I saw sadness seeped onto her otherwise cheerful personage. I bet Gina was trying to cheer me up by listening. Even after putting it out there, uncertainty still gripped down on my voice; I didn't know what else to say.

But the tremulous clouds are receding; it definitely feels good being able to talk to someone else about what's on my mind.

"You know what I think?" All of a sudden her voice perked back up, breaking me out of my stupor as she turned back to me. "I think...you're feeling ashamed, more specifically, you're embarrassed at what you did. Maybe you feel as though you've let your Famiglia down?"

Her words singled out the thoughts, and everything became clear. As my head fell once again, as if I couldn't face the truth, I realized how ashamed I was. In my mind there was this constant berating, of how childish and selfish I was, and at no point did I spare a thought for my Famiglia. Though it's all in the past, the stain remained, uncleaned and forgotten. Running away was the worst thing for me to do.

"That's...exactly it..." I mumbled out a response, only because I couldn't think of anything else.

"Amato...that was all in the past." Gina consoled as I plucked enough resolve to break free of my own mental cage, looking back up to her. "I remember that one time when...you got hurt trying to protect me and Sergio.." She gave out, only to have her words trailed off and the look on her face contorting at the memory. Finally, Gina shook her head from side to side to clear away her own feelings before pulling a smile back on her face.

"Kiera and the other members of your Famiglia care a lot about you, they didn't seem the least bit bitter. They've forgiven and forgotten about those incidents I'm sure!"

_Ba-dump._

Her soft grip closing around my fingers, my heart almost skipped a beat when Gina pulled herself close...

"Now it's your turn to forgive..." She declared, with the gentle voice she ever mustered. "Or maybe you're thinking of making it up to them?" Suddenly Gina slipped back to her usual tone of voice as the new line of thought occurred to her, breaking the momentum of conversation and the atmosphere and leaving me just sitting there dazed and confused.

Still, the idea of trying to make up to them did cross my mind, but it wouldn't mean anything unless it's done on my birthday, preferably with a dinner feast or something.

"I wish I could treat my Famiglia to a birthday dinner or something, but I'm a terrible cook...not to mention the lack of time.." I trail off, as my eyes widened at the sight of the tinted horizon, revealing itself subtly as the gondola lingered away from the shadows cast off of the buildings. Light spread from the sliver of glow disappearing behind thick gray clouds, fading as it went towards every direction.

"Well, we have until midnight. Success however, will ultimately depend on how fast a learner you are." Turning back from the scene of the setting sun, Gina's smile caught me way off guard. Flustered and taken slightly a back, I nearly jeopardized the ride on the gondola! Before I could even say anything, however, Gina was already calling out to the boatman, eager to get us back on land. Things were happening too fast, and my thoughts blurred. The next thing I know I was reaching out for Gina, locking her fingers with mine.

"..."

Turning back, our eyes met and yet there was only silence between us. My hand was still pulling on hers, the grip growing tighter around her soft fingers. As Gina's face blushed red, I could feel my own flaring up in an instant!

"S-Sorry! I-I just thought maybe we could..watch the sunset together before we go?!" What first came out as painful stammer exploded into a full yell as I turned my eyes away in embarrassment. Scratching away at my right cheeks, my eyes were blinking fervently away at the idea of what I just did.

This is the first time I've touched a girl's hand out of my own volition! Still, not the most gentlemanly thing to do, is it?!

"I, uh..I just want to thank you, Gina. For listening." I muttered, feeling myself calming down at the sight of the setting sun. Glancing to the corner of my eyes, Gina was still blushing hard, her confident smile now replaced with an uncertain line as her eyes zipped towards me and away. "I was surprised. Are you still upset about that incident with Yoko?" Bracing myself, I finally tossed out the question that had been lingering in my mind for quite a while now...

"Oh I'm still upset about that, make no mistake!" Immediately Gina recovered, bringing up an exaggerated fist, clenched and shaking. "I mean..sigh..how else was I supposed to react when someone I like is cuddling in the arms of another girl?" Fidgeting with her fingers, she quickly simmered before wrenching my heart with a crestfallen look on her face. "Still, I'm not so upset as to be mean to someone on their birthday..." She ended her explanation as her voice trailed off, half mumbling.

"Thanks, and let me make this clear, there's nothing between me and Yoko. She's...a special case. There's a reason why she moved into the Zanna Mansion. She's a victim of the Zanna Famiglia's legacy." Eyes tracing along the orange streaks in the sky, I started explaining what happened on our trip to Japan, what it culminated to.

"A victim? What do you mean?" Gina questioned, perking right up with interest just as I looked towards her.

I guess I can't blame her, the words sounded more believable in my head.

"Generations ago, a treasure of my Famiglia was entrusted to her family for safekeeping, and because of that every one of her family was slaughtered..." I described with much clarity, the burning scene playing back in mind. "She doesn't have anyone anymore, and the only memento she had of her parents was the very Legacy Arm we needed to retrieve..." The words continued, even as Gina flinched at the mention of death. "I didn't want to take the jewel away from her, so...I guess I took her back with us instead."

"So she's a part of your Famiglia now?" Gina caught on quick, throwing out her question as soon as I finished.

"Probably, I think Kiera's currently working on introducing her to the rest of my Famiglia." I replied, before silence came over the scene by the canal. The subject of my Famiglia was probably the last thing I wanted to talk about when I'm in Gina's company.

Oh yeah, besides my birthday, today's a holiday as well.

Rummaging through my pockets, a certain wrapped gift popped up. I hope she likes it...

"Gina, I got something for you. Happy Valentine's day!" I cried out, presenting her with the gift with as best a smile I could muster despite how nervous I was.

"You..You shouldn't have.." Gina muttered in her surprise, but I could see a smile stretching across her face as she accepted the gift. "But..only lovers exchange gifts on Valentine's day. You know this, right?" She tossed out the question rather awkwardly as her eyes fell to the object in hand.

"Well, y-yeah..I-uh..I've always wanted to ask..." Amidst chattering teeth, my stammering words came out one after the other. "Is our relationship..you know...official?"

"I don't know. Do you want it to be official?" She answered my question with her own, happily opening up the gift.

"Yes, of course!" The confession burst out of me immediately after the thought came to mind, so loudly that it did a good job at flustering the two of us with reddened cheeks once more. In an attempt to distract herself, I watched as Gina lovingly admired the simple silver ring I got for her, fumbling as she wore it around her neck with chains like a necklace excitedly.

In the orange light of the sun, the innocent joy that Gina portrayed, something I've never seen from her before, was too much.

She was always beyond reach, standing above everyone. She excelled in whatever she did, in both academics and sports. But more than that, there's always this air of familiarity when I was near her. Confidence and fiery, I couldn't help but feel enthralled, and started admiring her before I knew better. Now that feeling has grown, somehow I realized it wasn't enough anymore. The urge to..show affection placed my hands on her shoulders, drawing her close...

_Ba-dump._

Everything zoned out. My heart was throwing itself against my chest, the sound filling up my ears. The only thing I cared about was relaxing myself despite the horrible trembling to my touch. Is this how you're supposed to feel with your first kiss? The thought of locking with Gina's soft lips melted my mind. I wonder if it's okay for me to do this at all? Though, she isn't giving me any resistance in the slightest.

When Gina's emerald eyes drifted themselves shut, I did the same...

* * *

In what felt like a blink of an eye I was back in the mansion. In the kitchen, in fact. Moonlight was seeping through the two meter tall glass windows, with nothing but movements and the occasional chuckle breaking the silence of the night. Rushing the food towards the table as fast as I can, my eyes constantly shot towards the grand clock in the corner of the room. I couldn't believe all we managed to cook up within three hours.

Home-made stuff, of course! Fragrant chicken carbonara fried over a mixture of grated lemons, walnut and parsley. A whole heap of chicken tetrazinni covered in melted parmesan, baked to perfection. Broiled salmon in golden mustard glaze. We even have eggplant squash spaghetti and a whole tray of traditional italian lasagna! Turning to my side, Gina glanced towards me with a proud smile on her face.

She looked really cute in that pink apron, even with all the sauce and flour at the corners of her face! The feast we laid out on the grand dining table was enough to feed a hundred people, and as the bells of the clock chimed, we realized it's almost time!

"Nine o'clock! A bit past dinnertime, but I guess it'll have to do! They should be coming in any second now, Gina!" I tossed out as I took off my apron, making my way towards the grand doors to the dining hall.

"I hope they like it! Every single bite!" She replied, with a hint of excitement in her voice.

"...wonder why Amato would suddenly ask us for dinner in the mansion?"

"...I didn't managed get anything decent! How did I forget my best friend's birthday, of all things!"

"...Enough, be grateful that the Boss of the Zanna Famiglia invited you to such an event!"

Amidst the various banter most curious, Kiera and the others came in with nothing short of surprise at the sight of the dishes laid before the table. Oh, the sight of Kiera's look on her face was priceless. It wasn't just the usual crew, though, dozens of black-suited members huddled in, uncertain and confused at what was gonna happen. As the last guy entered, the one person I was most hoping to meet didn't attend.

"I apologize, my Lord. Joshua declined to your invitation. Said it was 'nothing more than a farce'." Kiera reported, appearing at my side as always. She must have caught up on what I'm trying to do with this feast.

"It's all right. Thanks for the help with the last minute invites, Kiera." I replied, giving her my gratitude. The rift between Joshua and I will need to be mended another time, I suppose.

"Everyone..thank you for agreeing to attend my birthday dinner on such short notice." Standing at the edge of the table, I welcome the lot of my Famiglia. "..I'm sorry for being such a pain in the past. Especially on my birthdays. You guys had to put up with a lot of uh...problems." I continued as I met their gaze with a bow, much to their surprise.

"What?! What are you doing, Lord Amato?! Raise your head, please!" Immediately Kiera was startled by the turn of events, crying out at my somewhat unbecoming behavior. I suppose the Boss wouldn't be able to command much respect if he bowed so easily to those under him, but I hope this will show how sincere I am in this apology.

"I just...I guess I just wanna say-" I had it all planned out in my head, but speaking towards the bulk of my Famiglia has never been easy.

Just as my mind blanked out, something unexpected happened.

Applause from nearly all of them, some even cheering with their fists in the air, filled the room, breaking away at the awkward silence. Before I knew it they started cheering my name. It filled my heart with a certain feeling of warmth, and took away the weight of the guilt gnawing within. That was also when Gina brought out the birthday cake, apparently one she sneaked back from her store. As everyone started digging in, I sat down before them at the boss's seat, as was my station, and never have I felt so proud.

From here on out, we will be moving forward.

Me and my Famiglia.

* * *

**Yes, I'm finally done. I got sidetracked too many times when writing this chapter. Sorry! Parts were changed, but the core idea was penned down nicely, if I might say so myself. I hope you guys enjoyed the read, and as usual, give me your thoughts in your reviews below!**


	74. The Advent Of Spring

**Author's Note:**

**Time moves on quickly, and before I knew it, it's already going into the Spring for the story of T3BFG. Just a few more arcs before things get really fired up for Amato and his Famiglia! Before then however, there's still a few issues and kinks that needs to be worked out first...**

* * *

**Chapter 73: The Advent Of Spring.**

Everything's ready. I got my bag, my books. Fenris neatly tucked in his holster behind my black overshirt. Oh yeah, and as always, the Tear of the Fang hangs from my neck, the smokey white jewel glistening in the sun. With everything that's happened I nearly forgot about the other of the two jobs Amato Zanna has to do. Straightening my back and pushing on, my steps takes me away from the streets of the city and through the school gates just as a sea of students appeared.

"To study hard, be a good student and get into a good college, I guess." My train of thought turned into words as I made my way into class, feeling strangely motivated. The same tables, the same seat since coming back to school for the new year, and yet I can't help but feel like it's been more than just two weeks since taking leave for Japan. Personal matters, as Kiera and my appointed 'Guardians' put it.

"All right class, settle up, it's time for homeroom." And with that one line everyone fell into place, starting off the day with the usual catching up of current events before the teacher would start re-iterating the agenda for the day. The appointed teacher for this class is a snazzy guy who looks to be in his mid-forties, always coming in in a dress shirt with spread collars and pants held by these two braces that goes over the side of his shoulders.

Despite the white hair lingering from the side of his head above the ears, the outfit always looked a bit too old fashioned for the teach. Wait, what was his name again...?

"Hey did you hear? There's a new student transferring in today!" Just as I was gonna answer my own thoughts, the murmurs of the class caught my ear. "..Yeah, I saw her. Her hair was the most prettiest thing I've ever seen!" Another guy whispered. "Hair? Sorry but I was too focused on her rather voluptuous features to notice." No doubt they're excited, maybe a bit too much. I look around only to see a bunch of silly smiles slapped across every face.

Well, except for Sergio and Johann's. As usual, Sergio's the only guy who has a notepad out during Homeroom, and Johann's attention was solely driven around this butterfly fluttering at the other side of the class window.

The girls, however, were little more than annoyed, especially with the lack of attention from any of the boys in class. One in particular though, has had her eyes pinned on me since I got into class, her archaic stare almost too much for me to handle.

Not now, Gina! Not in class and especially not in front of all your 'fans' like this!

"Knock. Knock." All of a sudden, the morning chatter was silenced by a single, crystal clear knock on our classroom door. It was such an abrupt sound that everyone couldn't help but turn their eyes towards it.

"Click."

The door then opened up to a gust of wind blowing against subtle, light brown hair. Amber eyes amidst her almost snow white skin, Yoko scanned the class for a second before calmly making her way to the front. In her usual red hoodie down and snazzy denim skirt, she started off introducing herself to the teacher before turning to the board with a nod of approval. With clean strokes, she wrote out her name 'Hayashi Yoko' in both Japanese, English and Italian.

"Good morning everyone. My name is Hayashi Yoko. It's a pleasure to meet you all, and I hope you'll guide me along. I look forward to spending my time here in this class." Yoko gave out the words with a smile, before giving the class a bow, her movement so graceful it doesn't feel out of place in the classroom setting one bit.

"Well done, go ahead and take your seat wherever you like, I'll have your assigned position ready by tomorrow." Impressed, the teach gestured Yoko towards the class before getting back to Homeroom. Having the male half of the class mesmerized, I expected Yoko to take a corner to herself.

"Huh?!" Out of nowhere, voices in unison cried out together in surprise and disbelief.

Apparently I was wrong.

"Hey Amato, it's nice to see a familiar face in class." Excited, Yoko had taken her seat beside me. I didn't even noticed the owner of the seat was absent today!

"Hey, Yoko. I mean...yeah, I-I guess you got lucky!" With extra care I gave out the words with a smile as I turned towards Yoko. For some reason, things have been different ever since my birthday. Everything I do I can't help but think of Gina, wondering if my actions would please her or not! Never have I been so conscious of the things I do. Gotta find someway to get used to all this and get back to my usual self!

Catching sight of Sergio and Johann's gestures, Yoko quickly responded back with a silent wave back.

"With the four of us in the same class, I guess it'll be easier if anything happens." She exclaimed as she turned her smile back to me. For some reason, she seemed really happy, her now beaming smile a stark contrast from the calm, porcelain look she had when she entered class.

"Y-Yeah." Again, I replied, barely squeezing out the word.

"Amato, why are you stammering?" Slightly annoyed, Yoko tossed me the question, seemingly unaware of the scene around us. Is she just ignoring everyone else or did she just not notice?

"Guh! Um.. I-It's nothing. Nothing at all!" I blurted out as I took another peek at Gina. The fact is that the few seconds passed had already branded me as a mark amongst every other guy in class. Watching the new girl talk in such friendly terms with me and only me meant that I'm now on the receiving end of this seething jealousy that seems to be slowly swallowing me whole!

"Psst, why is the new girl so interested in Zanna?"

"Don't know, but they seem awfully friendly for people who've just met!"

"Dude, we gotta get her away from that brownie, lest she catches his stupid!"

Under the scrutiny of the guys, I couldn't help but bury my head and try to block out what they're whispering. I don't care about what they think, so there's no point getting angry over such petty insults. Sergio and Johann however, were getting restless. I could see my best friend clenching down his fists, while Johann looked more and more upset. Just as everything seemed to reach a boiling point however, the seat beside me were thrown back!

"Clack!"

"If you guys have something to say, why don't you guys just say it?!" Yoko screamed out in fury as her clam eyes shifted into a piercing glare. Obviously angry, her outburst surprised everyone, even the teacher. Even myself. Considering Yoko's usually quiet persona, I didn't expect her to lose herself to emotions. When the signs showed that she wasn't stopping, I ended up grabbing her left hand on instinct.

As her amber eyes turned to me, all that was needed was a single shake of my head to calm her down. Without words I told her it's not worth the effort, and with a single cough, she got right back on her seat. If anything, I appreciate what she tried to do, and it seems that one line did manage to shut the guys up. To curb the awkward silence, the teacher decided to drop the whole thing and carry on with the class, turning back to the board.

But, something tells me school's only gonna get a lot more complicated from here on out.

* * *

"And finally we have the cafeteria, and just in time for lunch." I declared as I pushed the two doors opened, changing the scene from a quiet hallway to a bustling canteen. Having been chosen to give the new girl a tour around the school, Yoko and I have been to every place in Venice High accessible to students. Every now and then when I see Yoko's eyes go wide I can't help but wonder if everything is as she expected.

I can't say I know how it feels when one transfers from one school to another. Or one country to another, in this case.

"So this is lunchtime in the schools in Italy, huh? Not much difference..." Yoko muttered out as we started lining up for food, getting our hands on the trays. She seems strangely affixed at the chaotic sea of students seated in rows of tables that stretched from one end of the hall to the other. Just as we checked out, the student in front of us, a guy from our class, took a side glance in our direction before turning his eyes away.

"Tch, the banshee and the brownie, better move before she starts screaming again..." He scurried off quick, but not before tossing at us another unnecessary remark.

"..."

His words left us silent as we went hunting for our seats.

"Sorry, Yoko." In the end, I couldn't help but start apologizing. "Because of me, now you're gonna be mistreated by those guys as well..." I gave out, my eyes falling to the food on my tray. The gravity of the situation started sinking into mind. Yoko had a chance to start over, a clean slate, but because of what happened we now have rumors like what the guy said just seconds ago spreading around.

"Eh, it's all right, Amato." Yoko replied, pushing closer to my side so that I could see her. With a smile she brushes off my worry and somehow made it seem trivial. "If that's their true colors I would prefer to have them insulting me all the time rather than put up with their lying, pretty faces." She continued as we walked on, despite some of the girls having started turning to Yoko with their admiring gaze. I think a few of them were impressed by Yoko's actions in the morning.

"More importantly, I don't understand how you're able to tolerate what they say with a smile! You say this is an every day occurrence for you?" Breaking out of her calm, Yoko's amber eyes started peering for answers.

"That's..well, not everything they say is a lie..I'm not very good with my studies, for one. What with all the work I have to do with the Famiglia.." I struggled with the explanation, making sure the word 'Famiglia' came out in a whisper.

"But that's no reason for them to call you stupid! You could just tell them the real reason why you're struggling with school so much! You don't even deny anything!" Flaring up, Yoko nearly crushed the tray of food in her hands as she took another step forward.

"I don't have to deny anything, I don't mind them! And I...I can't tell them the truth, or they might get implicated..." Somehow, the words popped out even before they came to mind.

"Y-You! Wha! After all that, you're still worried about-?! Tsk!" Apparently, my answer somehow shocked Yoko enough to lose her words and stop in her steps. "Sigh..." Then, as if given up trying to convince me, her cheeks flushed red as she looked to me with worry. In my defense I could only shrug my shoulders.

There's nothing wrong with how things are right now. As long as I don't get hurt, the class don't trouble me much. In fact, the less interaction I have with them, the better. This way they'll be safe, and would never get caught up in any trouble with the Mafia, or be used against me as ammunition.

"Hey, what are you guys doing standing around like that?!" And suddenly we were brought back to the hustle of the canteen by a familiar, third voice. Sergio sat in the corner of the cafeteria waving, calling us over to the empty seats around the table. Johann and Gina were right there beside him.

"Hey guys, how long were we standing there in the open?" I asked out as I took a seat besides Gina.

"Long enough to catch the eyes of nearly everyone in the canteen!" Sergio replied, taking a huge bite out of his mashed potatoes. Following alongside me, Yoko had gone quiet, slowly shuffling her way to the empty seat at my other side. Gina wasn't talking, her eyes all but driving needles towards Yoko. I wanted to call out to her, or maybe just to shift myself a bit closer but the nervousness froze my body before I could even move.

Besides that, Gina wasn't smiling like usual, and that's...never a good sign.

"Regina, a pleasure." With somewhat of a forced smile I watched as gave her regards to Gina.

"Likewise, Miss Hayashi." Suddenly, Gina's eyes sharpened into focus as they met with Yoko's. Somehow I don't think they're actually happy to see one another...

"Oh, you can just call me Yoko, let us do away with the formalities." Yoko suggested, although her eyes were still locked with Gina's.

"You're never gonna get what you want, you know? You lack...assertiveness." Out of nowhere Gina threw out her remark, seemingly driven towards Yoko. Sergio and Johann looked to me, and I didn't have anything for them. Just like them I find myself slightly confused at what's happening, and drowning the overwhelming presence of the two girls at the table.

"Restraint is the sign of true beauty, and perhaps one of the few things that separates us from gorillas, but I'm sure you knew that already. Am I wrong, Regina?" Sipping down on her black tea, Yoko was relentless with her own comeback. It almost made me choke on the meatloaf I was forcing down my throat! As if drawn and worried, my eyes couldn't help but look towards Gina. Somehow I didn't think she was gonna take that well-

"Oh? Like the restraint you showed this morning in class? I see! I have so much to learn." Gina was going all out, and she snidely gave out that reply thick with sarcasm. At her other side Sergio shook his head in resignation as if berating himself that he should have seen this coming. Johann however, got bored and started devouring the rest of his food(The portions were large, by the way, easily enough to feed three people) without a care in the world.

"Amato was clearly being bullied. You're just a coward that's too afraid to stand up for what's right!" Yoko ended off her declaration with a turn to the sides, almost as if she didn't want to even look at Gina. Gina's eyes flared at that comment. I think I saw sparks flying just a second ago. Uneasiness washes over me from where I sat, deterring me from reaching out and hindering every effort at trying to resolve this thing peacefully.

Somehow, I get the feeling they're quarreling because of me.

"Ladies please! Let's just try to get along, all right? Lunchtime is almost over!" I cried out as I got between them. I almost had to pry them apart due to how close they were from butting heads.

You hear stories of attractive a cat-fight can be for the guy watching. For me however, now it's looking to be the most horrifying thing ever. Before anything else happens, it's probably best to change topics. Right now might be the best time to bring up something I had on my mind for quite a while now.

"All right guys, let me ask you something: what do you all think of a getaway for spring break?"

* * *

The day went dark before I knew it. Sitting at the grand dining table, the subtle ring of cutlery could be heard as I mowed down on my dinner. A pretty standard choice steak, grilled to perfection and to be had under the light of the grand chandelier hanging above us. Dinner had always felt solemn, but apparently it was no longer the case, given how the number of people sitting at the table had grown. Dante and Vito quietly dined on their dishes, but Johann was scarfing down the meat as fast as he could, going for as large a piece with each bite. Kiera stood at my side, having already finished her share before dinner started.

Only one person remained silent and unmoving throughout the whole course. Yoko stared at the food with cautious eyes, zipping between Kiera, Vito and Dante with no reprieve.

"Is something of a problem, Lady Yoko? Does the food not adhere to your preferences?" As polite as ever, Kiera gently gave out the question without the need for a second glance.

"Don't!-" As if offended by Kiera's address of her, displeasure all but spilled out onto Yoko's face, much to my surprise. "Don't...call me by my given name. Just...call me Hayashi. And no, nothing's wrong with the food..." Yoko continued, before finally reaching for her utensils.

She said there wasn't anything wrong, but I could see how nervous she looked when taking her first bite. Discomfort and unease was what I picked up from her body language. It wasn't until she finally swallowed that tiny bite of steak before she got better.

Hm, maybe getting better was the wrong word for it. It looked more like she gave up in resignation.

"Yoko, if there's anything wrong, you know you can tell us, right? We're all living under the same roof now, if there's anything we can do to help each other, we will." Before long, the curiosity got the better of me, and I ended up speaking out. Something was bothering her, I know that much, but something else was also making her reluctant to say anything.

"It's impolite to speak during mealtime, Lord Amato. Have you forgotten all the table manners I've taught you in the past?" Before my question could amount to anything, though, Kiera spoke out from behind me. The harsh tone in her voice was enough to shut me right up. At least until dinner is done with.

Minutes later, everyone was resting at the table after having finished dessert. Kiera's watchful gaze was weakening, and when she collected the last of our plates, she gave a nod as the signal to speak freely.

"I assume your plans for the spring break was met with success?" Kiera herself started it off, tossing the question at me with a disinterested look on her face. Apparently she had planned some training for me over the break, to master my control of Kujaku. It took me three days of begging before she finally relented, and pushed it back the calendar.

What can I say, Kiera can be quite the taskmaster sometimes.

"Uh...yeah, I mean yes! Sergio, Gina, Johann and Yoko all agreed. We'll be meeting at the docks in the morning on the first day of spring break." I reported, eyes looking towards Johann who nodded in agreement as well as Yoko, who was listening with much intent. I think Kiera's still annoyed by the fact that I'm skipping training for leisure, judging from the skeptic eyes and frown. Still, she nevertheless agreed when I mentioned it was a plan to have us create stronger bonds as friends and even as Famiglia.

"Lady Hayashi, it's delightful to hear you're going as well. The trip will do you most benefit, I presume." Out of nowhere, Kiera gave out her address with a lighter tone, sounding relieved.

"I'm...I'm not going." Well that was kinda short-lived. Yoko just shot down everything with her reply. Thinking back, she didn't say anything back at school when I pitched the whole thing. In the end I took her silence as consent.

"Is there a particular reason for that, Lady Hayashi?" Kiera gave out, moving to my side of the table. By now, the weight of her gaze had grown way bigger than before. It didn't take long before it drove Yoko out of her seat, stumbling onto her feet.

"No reason, I just don't feel like going...I'll be retiring to my room!" She declared, as calmly as she could given the circumstances, before stomping out of the dining hall. Still, it didn't do much to mask the uncertainty in her words, tempered by a hint of fear.

Just...what is going on? I feel like I'm missing out on something...

* * *

Has there been another incident in the Zanna Mansion that I wasn't told of? What happened back in the dining hall left the air cold and awkward. Even Johann ended up worried, but neither of us could do a thing to break the silence. It has been hours since then. I seem to recall Yoko having issues with Dante and Vito weeks ago, during Carnevale. Was that it?

Questions after questions forced themselves into mind as my steps littered the corridors. When my eyes finally looked up, I had reached the room I wanted to go to, greeted by a beautifully craved plaque hanging by the door. It had 'Hayashi Yoko's Room' carved onto its prim surface in cursive, giving the door itself a presence that stood out before the countless others.

"Knock, knock."

"...Yoko, are you still up?" I called out to her in a hushed tone, not wanting to disturb the peace of the night. I was serious when I said I would anything to help if I can before.

"...Yeah. *Sniff*"

What was that? Was she...crying?!

Suddenly things felt as though it got a lot worse, and it only got me more restless. Reaching out for the doorknob, everything paused when I heard the loud click, the door refusing to budge, and realized it was locked.

"Yoko, what's wrong? Open up so we talk about it, face to face." I cried out, overcome with worry. By now I'm certain something had happened, or was happening. Staring at the plaque, I expected the door to swing open any second now...

"I wasn't crying! I-I'm fine. We can talk, but stay at the other side of the door, all right?" She replied in muffled voice, before I hear sound of something slumped against the bottom of the door. I don't think there's anything I can do or say to change her mind now. Resigning myself to her suggestion, I ended up slumping myself on my side, taking a seat on the tiled floor and slumping my back against the door.

Somehow, I got the feeling she's doing the same.

"I'm sorry about how I acted at dinner.." From the other side, I could hear Yoko calming down, but even as she spoke, anyone could have made out how tired she was. Exhausted even. Thinking it's probably better for her to put things out into the open, I stayed quiet, if only to listen with my every attention. "Things have been...difficult, ever since I moved here." With what sounded like a whisper, Yoko showed something that caught me by surprise.

Admitting weakness was the last thing I'd expect from Yoko. That got me even more worked up.

"Difficult? Has the Famiglia been causing trouble for you?" Somehow, Kiera's rather forceful methods came into mind, the question just sorta spilling out.

"No! At least I don't..it could just be all me...I.." The series of words that came from Yoko next had me confused. I think she's feeling the same way as well.

Has things really have been so difficult for Yoko in the past two weeks? I never noticed, not even once, not until today at dinner. She always seemed so laid back, so confident. It was as if everything in her life was in her control, following her own decisions and directions. Was it all nothing more than a facade?

The shadow of her past, that which gnawed at her soul. I saw them through her memories. I thought she had put it behind her when she moved here to Italy. Is it...coming back? It certainly feels like it.

"...You'll always be there for me, right Amato? That's what you promised..." The mewling words spoke out again, like she was yearning for a certain response.

"Yeah." I replied, almost on reflex, as if it was the only thing I could do.

"...Wait for me on that day. I promise I'll be there."

* * *

**Wow, I didn't planned to end things on such a low note. Something seems to be troubling Yoko, stressing her to no end. As of right now, the core of the Zanna Famiglia is distraught, and lacking in cohesion. That has to change. Let's see how a spring break getaway is gonna do all of that! As usual, give me your thoughts in your review below, I'd love to hear what you all have to say, and keep your eyes out for the next update!**


	75. The Spring Break Getaway!

**Author's Note:**

**If you guys can't tell, I've regained a bit of the drive I used to have. Back then I could have pumped out two chapters a week like it was nothing. I'm definitely eager to bring this story up to speed, because when that happens, we'll get to see more of Reborn's characters interacting with the Zanna Famiglia. I have a feeling it'll be very interesting when the time comes...**

* * *

**Chapter 74: The Spring Break Getaway!**

**Child Of The Sun.**

**Venice, Italy – Venice Maritime Port.**

Days had passed since that night. Things had been rather peaceful of late. We're gonna be outdoors and in the sun, for the most part, so I dug out my old pair of cut-off denims, flip flops and my swimsuit. I haven't been to the beach in years, so it was a relief they still fit. All packed and ready for the trip, my body dragged itself forward to the docks as the open sea grew larger before my eyes. I want to go to the island, to spend the day at the beach, and dine on barbecued wings and seafood...

Yet, why am I trembling still?

"Yoko! You made it!" Tugging down on my arm to rid myself of the shiver, I was greeted by Amato and the rest of the crew when I looked back up. Just seeing his ever-beaming smile was enough to make me forget all doubt, and go back to the life of a safe, average teenager. A girl whose sole objective today is to have fun, share smiles and forge memories. Even if it's just for a little while.

"Yeah...thanks for waiting." I finally joined in the conversation with a smile. They all looked really excited in regards to the trip. Amato looked like a different person out of his black overshirt and pants, now replaced with marine blue boardshorts and an unbuttoned shirt with a rather striking floral design. Sergio's outfit was similar, crimson boardshorts that reached for his knees and a straw hat now concealed his seaweed green hair. Johann donned a pair of jammers. That's the name for those shorts, I think, form fitting swimwear which is common among competitive swimmers.

I wonder if he's a competitive swimmer here in Italy?

"Hey Yoko, it's nice of you to join us." From behind the boys, Regina popped out, her luscious black hair swaying with the wind. She had a white tank top on with a pair of pink, floral shorts, the bright colors complimenting the natural shade of her hair. She looks beautiful, though you'll never catch saying that out loud. I couldn't help but chuckle when I heard the tiniest hint of disappointment in her words despite the smile she had. I responded with a nod and a smile of my own.

There's no way I was letting you have Amato all to yourself for this getaway, Regina!

"Wonderful. Now that everyone's here, we can finally depart!" Suddenly, Kiera's voice shook me to the core as she called out to us. With grace she made her way towards us from what looked like a personal ferry of the Zanna Famiglia, parked in a corner and away from the cruise ships that littered the open waters of the Venice maritime port. Even the Valkyrie was dressed for the occasion, donning a beige sunhat over a more outdoors-oriented style of her usual uniform. Sleeveless with less buttons and laces, coupled with a shorter skirt, thigh high stockings in a pair of sandals. The two guys, Vito and Dante, who follows her around like a pair of ghosts, had their usual jackets and pants replaced by shirts and shorts.

With no time to lose, Amato and the rest started nudging me towards the ferry in all the excitement, their energy almost too much for me to keep up with. The sight of Kiera got me all tensed again. I guess I was hoping she wasn't going to show up for the trip, but I would be lying if I said I wasn't expecting it. After all, I heard it straight from her lips myself...

* * *

"Yo Sergio! Catch!" Johann yelled out in an attempt to capture Sergio's attention. Usually such a call would come before the pass of the beach ball, but for some reason, it was already launched and in the air!

"Wha-?!" As he turned, Sergio was confused at the sight of Johann, who didn't have anything in his hands. He only had his finger up in the air, pointing at the projectile that's flying right at Sergio's face!

"Slam!"

Ouch. The ball struck him right in the face. When the thing plopped off, one could see the sand all over, the reddened marks of the impact area, and of course, Sergio's rage bubbling up.

"Johann, come'ere! Oh the things I'll do when I get my hands on you!" Sergio roared out as he broke off into a sprint in the sand, lunging towards the fool Johann who ran. The proclaimed strongest swordsman of the Zanna Famiglia did nothing but laughed it off, which didn't help in his situation at all.

The boys certainly wasted no time diving right into their games as soon as we reached land. I didn't quite catch all of what Amato said, but apparently this island's one of the few uninhabited islands around Venice, and perhaps the only one with a forest within walking distance. Here under the parasol my eyes fell to the drifting waves of blue shimmering in the light of the sun. However, no matter how much I tried to relax, my thoughts would not leave me be, and my eyes would constantly glance towards Kiera, Dante and Vito.

While Vito seemed less inclined to be planning anything having fallen asleep in his suntanning, Kiera and Dante were preparing the barbecue, a discussion brewing between them as they set things up with speed. The warning bells only got louder when they stopped all manner of communication after catching sight of me staring.

"Are you gonna join in on the games anytime soon, Yoko? You've been lying there for two hours now..." Providing the greatly needed distraction, Amato suddenly tossed me the question from my side, sitting in the sand and making sandcastles, apparently. Still, with us being so far away from the water, the fine grains of sand made it difficult for anything he made to stay solid and not break away. Though he asked me to go and have some fun, he's been by my side from morning. Sometimes I notice how much he would have preferred to be engaged in activities with Sergio and Johann by the look in his eyes while he glanced in their direction.

He must be staying close to me because of what I said. Maybe asking him to protect me that night was too selfish on my part.

"I..maybe in a few minutes. I was thinking of going for a swim." I replied with a smile, even if it was partly a lie. "Hm? Where's Regina? I haven't seen her in a while, and she's not with Sergio and Johann either.." The question came out when my eyes scanned around only to catch none of her ebon hair and emerald eyes anywhere. Anything to get my mind off of the paranoia that had me tight in the grip of its claws.

Turning to Amato, I saw his eyes roll to the ground as he answered, a small, goofy smile stretching across his face.

"She's...changing into her swimsuit.." He gave out, scratching on the side of his left cheek. A habit of sorts, probably to mask his embarrassment.

He may not openly admit it, but it's obvious that Amato's really fond of Regina. That makes me kinda sad, to be honest, and extremely jealous.

"Heeeey! Aamaatttoooo!" Speaking of Regina, there she is, trotting towards Amato with the same confident smile she always has, all while calling out his name. The expression Amato had on his face when he saw her was livid. His cheeks flushed red almost instantly, his eyes never blinking as they widened in surprise. I believe any young man would when laying eyes on Regina in her bikini, the striking orange color complimenting her pure skin tinted pink and slightly tanned. Her figure looked toned and firm, which is a feature which trumped my own, I'll give her that.

"Hey Regina. Nice swimsuit." Without much thought I somehow gave out a compliment, surprising Regina and myself. Perhaps all the stress has taken a bigger toll on me than I thought.

"Uh..yeah. Thanks, Yoko." Regina replied with another smile. The air between us was strangely civil, for once, and somewhat enjoyable. "Is something bothering you, Yoko?" Out of nowhere, Regina tossed me the particular question after a few seconds of silence. Almost as if she caught on to something just be looking at me.

"N-No! I'm fine." Panicking for some reason, I broke eye contact and sunk back into my beach chair as I assured Regina. Has my fear and suspicion made itself known from my looks alone? Has it become so obvious that my very movements betrayed my inner thoughts to others?

"Amato...wanna go for a swim?" Clinging herself to Amato's arm in an attempt at seduction, Regina's murmuring brought me back. Whispering into Amato's ear, her soft voice was enough to all but enthrall the Boss of the Zanna Famiglia apparently.

"Uh...yeah, o-of course! I-I wasn't staring!" The first thing Amato gave out after breaking out of his stupor was crying out his response, adorably spilling out his thoughts. Regina didn't seem to mind, and next thing I knew they were already up on their feet, happily making their way into the waters!

"W-Wait a minute, Amato!" When the paranoia started seeping back, I blurted out an embarrassing cry for Amato to stay, my arm stretching out for him. Alas, it was too late for he was already in the distance, and between the cackle of the barbecue and the crashing of waves, the faint sound of my voice had little to no chance of reaching Amato.

Just like that the sense of vulnerability returned, eyes upon me from every corner. I would snuff them out, only to have the place devoid of anyone. Nothing but sand and sea, and the gray coastal rocks. Then the intent blurred and vanished, before it started lingering from another direction entirely!

This is ridiculous! The feeling's way worse than before!

"Hah..hah..huh.." Unable to stand the sensation or block it out I stumbled onto my feet in cold sweat, clutching down on both sides. Whatever it was, my senses screamed for me to get away, and so with awkward steps I pushed myself forward. The wave of danger carried with it a tinge of familiarity, and my body reacted in kind, instinctively determined to avoid whatever that's threatening it!

"May I ask where are you heading, Lady Hayashi?" From the barbecue pit Kiera must have caught sight of me, calling out as she made her way towards me, feigning concern. Without much thought I responded with a raised open palm, brushing off the issue. Now I really wanted to get away from where I was!

"Don't you mind me! I'm just...going out for a walk in the woods!"

* * *

In solemn green, in the stillness of the woods, things quieted down. I was finally able to breathe again, the fresh air cooling me down as the nauseating sensation receded. What started as a wild dash died down to a stroll. My breathing steadied, and with the welcomed silence my mind could think again. To my sides were nothing but groves of trees, vines and wood, and I couldn't be happier at the sight. Whatever it was, it didn't seem to have followed into the forests...

"Kiera didn't give chase as well..." I muttered out for some reason, as my thoughts dug deep into my memories. A reminder of exactly why it's better to stay wary of Kiera, Dante and Vito...

_It's been about a month since I moved here to Venice, Italy. Into the Zanna Mansion to be exact. I have seen plenty of the daily operations carried out by the Famiglia, and I am no fool. Because of Amato's inexperience, Kiera's the real person giving out the orders. Because of that, I couldn't trust Amato's words enough to know if they applied to everyone within the Zanna Famiglia. Even if I were to give them the benefit of the doubt, that one afternoon changed everything..._

"_Leave her alone?! Did you managed to ascertain the information we needed to even make such a decision?!" From behind the huge doors, my steps stopped when passing by one of the many rooms within the Zanna Mansion. The yelling piqued my interest, and the hole slightly opened granted me sight of exactly whose voice it was._

"_C'mon Kiera, you know as well as I do right from the beginning this was a fruitless venture! If anything, she's closed up even more towards us than she did before!" The one named Vito reasoned, with his signature sarcastic tone behind each word._

"_Lady Yoko's refusal to cooperate with the two of you makes her a liability. I will not ignore a potential problem waiting to happen!" The golden-haired girl demanded, slamming her fists down on the table before her._

_They're...talking about me. I'm...a liability?_

"_We have no choice. The contingency plan will have to be followed through. Lord Amato's planning a spring break getaway, no? An uninhabited island, secluded and a distance away from the city. The perfect stage." As she gave out her decision, I would be lying if I said her descriptions were anything but threatening. It became clear to me exactly what they planned to do, no matter how much I refused to believe it._

_They're planning to take me out of the picture!_

"_Are you certain? She's a prideful one, the plan might backfire. One outcome might lead to another. Not to mention, have you considered how the Boss would react if he finds out?" Dante wondered out loud with his usual, cold expression._

"_If you follow the plan to the letter, he won't." Kiera assured the guy, confidence pouring out of her. So much that even I started to believe it would happen. "We will accompany Amato and his friends for the trip, and when we reach that island, both of you have your orders." She continued, giving what sounded like a summary of the assassination._

"_Find the right moment, and silence her doubts!"_

_I couldn't believe it. When my eyes blinked I realized my hand was over my lips for fear of me making a sound. In that instant everything I once dismissed as my own distrust grew into a reason for me to fear. After that moment, I was gripped by paranoia, trembling so much just retreating to my room felt like a struggle. Though Amato wouldn't, anyone else could be plotting against me, in league with Kiera and her plans._

_That was when I started seeing demons behind every face._

When things flashed back to the present, I ended up shaking my head to rid myself of all the fear and negativity. The important thing to note is that I'm here on the island right now, still alive. If I could just survive this trip, and get back to the mansion, the plan in motion would be thwarted. After this, speaking to Amato about this plot would ensure my safety, because if anything's certain, it's that Kiera would not dare to openly defy Amato, no matter how inexperienced she might consider him up to be...

_Badump._

While deep in thought, eye on the blades of grass beside my feet, the sensation returned, stronger than ever. My heart threw itself against my chest, and every cell in my body screamed for me to move! In the off-chance I looked up and forward, I saw the image so grafted into my memories that it triggered the influx of memories. Everything rushed right back.

The same, monstrous right eye. The same gripping fear, overwhelming nausea and sheer horror. It was pitch black, just like that night, bulging and pulsing with purple light, forming the lines across the surface.

It's staring at me, and from the shadows, the man stood silent, armed with the same pair of bloodstained axes. My mind was falling into despair, terror called forth the most horrible convulsion to ever wreck my body, messing up my motors skills. As instinct forced me back, step by step, I couldn't help but utter out the name. His name. The only information I managed to acquire from my investigation after all these years..

"Duilio..."

* * *

**Another suspenseful end to a chapter. Perhaps it was right for Yoko to be so paranoid. The hunter from her past rears his ugly face once more. Will Yoko be able to defend herself? Will the Zanna Famiglia be able to catch wind of what's happening? Well, nothing but the next chapter will tell. As usual, give me your thoughts in your reviews below, and keep your eyes out for the next update!**


	76. Predator

**Author's Note:**

**Sometimes circumstance can force people to do queer things, often something completely against their personalities when fueled by adrenaline or pushed by fear. I wonder if one of my character ever does that, would my readers be mad, or would they be able to relate and understand why such things had to be done?**

* * *

**Chapter 75: Predator**

**Child Of The Sun**

"Gah!"

With heavy breaths my frantic steps pushed me forward. I dared not look at my back for fear of catching sight of that grotesque appendage. I didn't need to, he was on my trail, his steps about as subtle as an elephant stampeding through the forest. Before I knew it I was stumbling, my arms clawing at the foliage-ridden forest, desperately yanking my body forward like an animal, getting mud and soil on my skin and prickling my fingers on the many thorns and pebbles.

_Badump._

Yet, in intervals the bass of my heartbeat would throb ever so loudly, unsettling my senses as it kept on growing in volume.

How long has it been exactly since I ran? Why did I run? A million question assaulted the psyche of my mind unanswered. I should have known it was Duilio giving off the unnatural sensations; he was the reason why I was feeling so uneasy! Never will I forget what happened that fateful night. Never will I forget the horror that was my family's faces, mutilated and burned.

Worst of all, the very presence of Duilio on this island hatched a great deal of lingering thoughts in mind, most of which left me in shame. For I started to doubt everything. Even Amato.

Could this have been part of Kiera's plan to put me down? I don't recall mentioning my past to anyone, except Amato. He knew from the Legacy Arm. Does this mean it was Amato who planned for this? Arranged for Duilio to set foot on this uninhabited island, to lie in wait for me? If not for Amato, then how else could he have found me here otherwise?

"Dammit!" Out of nowhere I gave off the word in a yell, as my thoughts drove me close to tears.

_Badump._

At the second wave of unease pressing down on my body, almost locking up my limbs, I realized this was no time to get emotional, no time to lose myself to thoughts. The murderous intent oozing out from Duilio had its claws snaking around me, nearly suffocating me as it inched closer and closer on my neck! From what was seen that night, I never thought there was any way he could be any more inhuman. Yet, there he was, hidden in the shadows when I caught sight of him, without a sound. With nothing but a crooked smile. His eyes pinned on me, watching my every move.

Like a predator keeping its eyes on its prey, wary of its every move, and savoring in the hunt...

"Huff..hah..hah.." Even with the stamina trained over the years, I couldn't keep up my speed for much longer. Amidst the strain and the dulled senses, I ended up neglecting the path at my feet in a blink of an eye...

_Crack._

"Augh!" A sharp jolt of pain, and the feeling of my left feet twisted out of position sending me falling down, crying out in sudden pain!

"Swoosh!" By chance, I also caught sight of the silver axe cleaving through the air in a horizontal arc as I fell! Saved by probability and circumstance, it would have carved my head in two had I not slipped! Needless to say, it didn't take long before I pushed aside the pain, ignoring the fire ravaging my muscles to get back up to speed!

Turn around. Now.

Out of nowhere a familiar voice commanded me, the words ringing in my ears. The trees vanishing to the sides only made me more and more restless. At first I thought it was just a part of my psyche, the part too afraid and tired to go on, lulling me to my death, but a second instance all but confirmed clarified the source.

Coward. You spent seven years chasing shadows, spending millions in terms of resources. Wasted resources. Now he stands before you, and all you can do is cower and run?

...they were my own, and every word rang true, hurting now more than ever. With every step, the chance of ever facing Duilio again diminished. The faces of my parents, my friends, they begged and beckoned me for justice, vengeance. Even as they burned into ashes, lingering in the wind. Did I not swear to kill this man by my own hands?

At the thought, Kujaku came to life, pulsing with the same orange light as that night so long ago...

_Badump._

He needs to burn within the sacred phoenix's flames. His very existence annihilated so that the same tragedy would not befall anyone else. The very image of the great fire of Akihabara may haunt me for the rest of my life, but at least this man will never take another life again!

Turn around and fight.

_Badump._

Fight, for the justice so blatantly ignored! Fight, for the tragedy that had occurred! Fight, so that Mom and Dad may rest in peace!

_Badump._

Fight, and kill him!

Between the beating tremble of my heart and the roaring thunder of my thoughts, a hand clamped itself down on my left shoulder out of nowhere, pulling me back!

"N-No! Let go of me! Get away from me!" The moment I twisted back, coming face to face with the murderer, instincts took over. With a scream and a wave of my left arm, accumulated mana exploded in a ring of fire around me, engulfing the area where Duilio would have stood in dancing orange flames. Yet, within the flickering flames, I could still make out the silhouette of the horrid eye still pinned on me...

?!

No way!

A second later, a tinge of despair ripped its way into my heart as the fire was immediately snuffed out right before my eyes.

Losing myself to fear, I turned around and continued running in the opposite direction, as a cave came into sight. Without much thought I plunged my way into the darkness with tears welling up, all while muttering a single line of words...

"...I couldn't do it.."

* * *

Nestled in the dark, I ended up crouching down and hugging my knees close to my chest. Exhausted, I nonetheless kept watch. I knew for a fact that Duilio would have followed me into this dark, damp place. As my eyes scanned from corner to corner, I saw no paths. There was nowhere else to go, the cave led to a dead end. Keeping myself conscious was difficult enough without the salty tears coming on every few minutes and the horrible feeling of shame threatening me to just throw myself out into the open.

I'm such a coward. The one thing I have been hoping to accomplish all these years, I threw it away in the face of fear. Why am I so afraid? I'm a bonafide mage now, I wield the primal forces in the palm of my hands. I'm not the same helpless girl from that night.

"Hah..hah..I need to get out of here. Get off this damn island!" Driven into frustration, I ended up dodging questions as I started inching my way deeper into the swirling shadows, with nothing but the pulsing light of Kujaku to guide the hands feeling across the walls.

"Crack!"

"W-What?! Whoa!" All of a sudden, the darkness drew me in. It felt as thought the ground itself opened up, and swallowed me whole.

No! I was so caught up with trying to find my way ahead that I didn't watch my steps! The last foothold I had must have been a protruding rock, sticking out over an edge! Twisting into a tumble, I could only close my eyes as the world turned itself upside down, funneling around me!

Thud! Thwack! Crack!

I lost count of how many sticks and stones were pelted against my skin as I floundered my way down what felt like a really steep hill, tearing at my shirt and scraping into my skin! Grasping out in an attempt to regain my bearings, the whole of my back met a rock wall as the momentum finally came to an end!

"Crack!"

"Gah!" The small cry of pain was squeezed out of me on reflex as the whole accident left me wholly disoriented, dizzy and wrecked with pain all over. My body felt numb, and welcomed the stillness and the invitation of rest of any kind with open arms, rendering me effectively paralyzed. Not budging an inch, I ended up opening my eyes only to caught sight of my body sprawled across the cave floor. In a daze, my consciousness would fade in and out as the throbbing pain around my feet got heavier...

"_...Hayashi! Lady Hayashi!..."_

"_...can you move?!.."_

"_...hang tight, you're bleeding..."_

In what felt like dreams I saw Kiera's black and white uniform, her golden hair barely visible in the dark. A second she was standing before me, shield in hand, and the next she was gone. God only knows how long passed every time I blacked out, but one can't help but feel each interval growing further apart.

"Grrr..."

"Huh?! Ah..hah..hah.." A low rumble all but drove me awake only to wince in the fiery stinging rending down my left feet. The air was thick with the pungent smell of blood. Despite thrashing around in a mix or sand, mud and coagulated blood, there little chance of me standing up anytime soon. Every effort caved the moment I rest my weight on my injury, my feet giving way almost immediately.

"..rrraugh.."

Upon hearing once more the sound that shook me to the core and drove my instincts wild, enough to urge me out of unconsciousness, I realized I'm not alone in this murky darkness. In shadows there flashed two spot of white, the pupils thinning out rapidly as they got closer and closer.

Part of me was relieved. The gaze was symmetrical, no glowing, misshapen eye; this is not Duilio. But it didn't matter much, the feeling of dread was still creeping up my body. When dragged into the light, the ever-present snarl and rows of teeth the size of my thumbs had me scrambling back.

"Guarrgh! Nyargh!" In a frenzy, the beast stood on its hind legs, towering above me with a height no less than two meters, bringing up both paws built of pure muscle and nails!

"B-B-B-Bear!" In my hopelessness, I could only utter out a single word before shutting my eyes down hard!

"A Marsican brown bear, to be exact!" Out of nowhere, Kiera leaped to my aid with nary a sound to her steps. With grace, she somehow managed to manipulate her tower shield, a giant hunk of metal nearing her height, in front of her in a sweep, planting it into the ground just as the bear slammed down on us!

"Klunk! Kashink!"

"Hup!" With a short battle cry, the ground almost gave off a tremor as Kiera lifted the shield off the ground like it was nothing, before charging right at the hulking animal with a glare! In fluent motion, the shield swung forth in a huge arc, slamming itself right into the bear's jaw and snout!

"Rwargh!" Unfazed by the attack, the bear brushed it off with no more than a grunt, before bringing down another huge arm of claw and muscle, forcing Kiera to guard!

"Crank! Shink!" Each blow dug into the shield like a wrecking ball was swung against it. Even Kiera had a hint of worry in her eyes, something so rare you can't help but panic. After three more slams and her body digging into the ground from the sheer weight of the blows, Kiera had to relent, dodging back before going on a reckless offensive!

It's insane! No man is said to be able to survive an encounter with a bear, being more likely to be mauled and eaten when caught in a brawl, but now the girl who's shorter than me is actually pressuring the beast back with the wrecking weight of her shield, bashing into the animal until even its thick muscles swell and bleed out of its fur! The aura of two beasts flooded into the air, rendering it suffocating and tense, and I don't know whose is more terrifying...

"Hah...hah..hah.." Between heavy breaths, the sheer presence of the clash had me inadvertently crawling back, powering through the pain. Anything to get away!

"Crack."

Out of nowhere, an ear-splitting crack broke its way into the battle, distracting both sides by a mere second. Taking advantage of the opportunity, Kiera went straight for the eyes!

"Krank! Thunk! Crash!"

"-Huh?!"

"Skrreetcchh!"

A gasp at the sight, unarmed before the claw dug through her flesh. Kiera's ornate shield, white as snow even splattered with blood, broke into three pieces with a throw of muscle from the bear! Within the next second, as Kiera was caught on by shock, the bear knocks away the metal, and ripped into Kiera's left shoulder as she were pulled to the side from the sheer force of the initial attack! It all but stole my breath away, ripping apart the hope of surviving this encounter and driving me into momentary despair.

"Cough!" Kiera's first reaction was a cough of blood, a streak of crimson blackening the sand and mud. After wiping it clean off her mouth, she calmed herself and took on a new stance just as the bear came charging!

However, it seemed like Kiera was more angry than hurt after being sucker punched...

"Nyargh!" The howl of the rampaging beast ended with a snap of its jaw at Kiera's feet, but all she had to do was take a step back. The chomp missed by mere centimeters, and before I knew it, the other feet was already raised, stomping down on the bear's eyes!

"Guurraagghh!" Bleeding from the eyes, what was a fearless predator hunting for its meal before was reduced to a cowering animal retaliating in pure desperation! Robbed of its sight, it thrashes around, throwing down its claws only to have them easily dodged by Kiera's fast steps, which exhibited both grace and power even amidst her heavy breaths and the painful trembling.

A kick to the jaw when the bear drew close!

Smashing down on the paws of the beast, sending cracks across its claws!

And finally, an elbow to the bear's skull in a counter!

"Ruuwwaaaarrgghh!" Much to my disbelief, the bear writhed in pain, crying out as it fell to the ground with a loud crash! I should be relieved at the fact that the beast has fallen, but seeing how it was beaten up into a bloody pulp only reminded me of what Kiera had in store for me! When she started making her way towards me, my body only reacted by scrambling even further away in haste!

"Cease your incessant struggling!" With an annoyed look in her eyes, Kiera glared down at me with such intensity I froze right where I was, too shook up to even respond as she stopped before me. In horror, my heart skipped a beat as I saw her drew out a dagger from her pockets!

"It is time to end your suffering..."

* * *

**Yes, I'm done! I managed to break away from Pokemon long enough to finish this chapter! Sorry that it took a few days late, my dear readers! A shocking turn of events! Could it be that Kiera is not who she's all cracked up to be? What's going to happen to Yoko now?! Well I'm certainly not saying anything! You'll have to wait for the next chapter to find out! As usual, give me your thoughts in your reviews below!**


	77. Change Of Heart

**Author's Note:**

**...I'm guessing you guys would probably be more interested in skipping through this section to get on to the story, so I'll keep this short and sweet! The idea of family plays a large part in T3BFG, evident from how Amato gets stronger by delving deeper into his history and inheriting his Legacy Arms. But could there be a reason why the Legacy Arms were never gathered in the generations before him?**

* * *

**Chapter 76: Change Of Heart.**

**Inner Feelings.**

"Creak..."

The tiny stones breaks in the palm of my hands, as I finally pulled the two of us up the rather steep slope. If I recall, the mouth of the cave should be just up ahead. Looking over my shoulders, Lady Hayashi came into sight, plagued by erratic breathing and a blank look in her eyes. She seemed confused ever since I slashed apart my uniform to make bandages for both our wounds. With her chest against my back, the increased heartbeat was little more than distracting...

_Throb._

"Ugh..." Just thinking of that gaping maw of a wound on my left shoulder sent a wave of fire to every part of my body.

Something is bothering Lady Hayashi, that much is true. She's been on edge ever since she moved into the mansion, and setting foot on this island only made it worse a hundredfold. I admit, my performance back there with that animal wasn't my brightest. It was embarrassing, but I lost my composure when my shield broke apart. Perhaps she's still upset over my yelling?

Strange. This was exactly why I got so upset the other time with Vito and Dante. Lady Hayashi is little more than an enigma at this point in time. We don't know the true extent of her capabilities, and that made it difficult for the Zanna Famiglia to use her. Beyond that, it made assigning the men for her protection difficult. Her blatant hostility and distrust towards anyone besides Amato only made things worse. She felt like an accident just waiting happen.

Yet now, when tragedy has struck, why I don't I care for anything other than the fact that she's all right?

"Lady Hayashi? Is everything all right? If anything's amiss, please do not hesitate to bring it to my attention. I would do anything in my power to assist...so..." I tossed out the question, breaking the cold silence, only to find myself trailing off when my eyes caught sight of Lady Hayashi's distant stare. It made it clear that no words were getting through to her in her current state of mind.

No matter, right now the prime objective is getting out of this hole and reuniting with the others. No doubt they must be worried sick.

With a heave, I secured Lady Hayashi over my back while making sure she's in a comfortable position(All thing's considered). Her bigger size do mean a tougher time for me with her on my back, but that leg was in no condition to move. Pushing forward one step at a time, I had only the walls as my guide while I constantly sought out light that would have seeped in from the entrance.

"No..."

The hope died quickly. My eyes widened as the word leaked out. The entrance was gone! No, a wall of rocks covered up the mouth of the cave, each stone creeping out from the earth as they sharpened and reached towards the ceiling of the cave.

"Knock. Knock. Crack!" What started off as a gentle tap to check the density of the rock ended with a loud punch and the cracking of bone.

What are we going to do now? This was our best way out, perhaps our only way out. In our condition, we didn't have the strength nor the energy to try anything else, lest we aggravate our injuries and seal our own fate!

As my teeth gritted down hard, the sight of my fist wrecked with fear and trembling hard made me realize how worked up I was. It was unsightly, especially when compared to Lady Hayashi's leg, all bloodied and bruised. Since I'm the one still capable of movement, I should be the one to get the two of us out of here. Driven by the thought, panic and worry rippled away from the flowing stream that was my mind. Before I knew it the next course of action has already been decided.

"The wall's solid, possibly backed up with several more rocks behind this one. We have little choice but to press our way further into the cave, and seek another way out of this place." I declared, making sure it was loud enough for the both of us. Just as I started moving again however, a hand tugged gently on my uniform from behind, capturing my attention. I turned, only to have my Lady presenting me with an unexpected question.

"Just...what are you planning to do with me?"

"What...exactly do you mean?" Pushing forward after a brief pause, I ended up giving her a reply befitting my own confusion.

"You're the one who told Vito and Dante to put me out of the picture, right? To silence me? Well you had the chance, so why didn't you take it?" Fear all but leaked forth from her words, her voice. Even with all her struggling, she couldn't accomplish much in pushing herself away from my hold due to weakness from her injury. In resignation, I felt something wet hitting at my back before Lady Hayashi started crying out.

"I..I don't understand! Why help me?! What the hell are you going to do with me?!"

…

For a brief moment I was all but petrified, robbed of my voice and reason. Only seconds later did everything returned.

"...You overheard us that day?" I quietly mentioned as thoughts flooded my mind. The lines were slowly being connected, the logic falling into place. Just like that, I understood why Lady Hayashi acted the way she's been.

"W-What?" The word slipped out from behind my ears, followed by the hands gripping down on my shoulders loosening. The image of Lady Hayashi struck with utter confusion came to mind.

"...It's all my fault. Am I the reason why you were so fearful? Am I the reason why things got difficult for you in the mansion?" My eyes fell even before my words ended. "I was so engrossed..so caught up with trying to find a place for you within the Famiglia...that I didn't even realize my own actions were the reason why you acted so wary and fearful..." In an attempt to lose the shame welling up, my legs started moving, one step at a time.

Though I only ended up swaying out of balance, nearly smashing against the rock walls. Whether it was from being distraught by my thoughts or hounded by the pain throbbing from the wound on my shoulder I couldn't tell.

"I'm sorry." I muttered, before forcing my head up, eyes forward before pushing on. "I did request Dante and Vito to use this trip as opportunity to silence your doubts, and I meant every word, in the most literal sense." I explained, hoping for Lady Hayashi to understand that I meant her no harm. "They were to find a suitable time to properly explain why they needed to keep watch on you, so that you would no longer have to worry."

That's right...It was all for her own protection...for her own...Was it really? The word illusion comes to mind. Like the placebo effect, perhaps all I managed to do was deceived myself into thinking everything was going according to plan, that it was an effective plan for providing protection for Lady Hayashi while at the same time ascertaining her capabilities and place within the Famiglia.

"You see, we know about what happened eight years ago." My words brought with them a sense of weight unlike before.

"No..." From my back I heard Lady Hayashi's voice, whimpering as if she just lost something close. Obviously her past isn't something she wished others to know about.

"We fear you might still be marked, targeted even after having moved here to Italy. That is why I sent Dante and Vito to get you to show what you can do, as well as to act as reinforcements in case anything were to happen to you." Finally I laid everything out onto the table while contemplating the recent events.

"Everything...was for my own good? That can't be true..." Lady Hayashi questioned, the revelation hitting her hard. I could only wonder how she had felt all this while, something I took no account of up until this moment in time. Just as I started shuffling down the slope, deeper into the darkness, a sudden shift in weight nearly threw me forward in a tumble. "...then what about Duilio? Are you telling me him being here, coming after me, is nothing more than a coincidence?"

"Crack..."

The question caught me off-guard, mainly because it went against the reality of the situation.

"..I'm sorry, Lady Hayashi, but exactly who are you going on about?" The question was given after a brief moment of contemplation, and a mild sense of uncertainty and caution. The fact is that Lady Hayashi's words perked me right back up from whatever stupor I dropped into because of injury. I just had to get the confirmation. Lady Hayashi claimed that the killer that hunted her that very night eight years ago in the burning city is here, and he chased her into this cave.

"I'm saying Duilio's still out there, or he might have even came in here! I saw him, and he's hungry for blood!" Lady Hayashi cried out in terror just as I turned to my back.

That sentence itself however, was flawed. A contradiction to what I observed.

"I followed you into the forest, Lady Hayashi. Gave chase when you started running. Brought up my shield on reflex when the tinted flames swept across the forest floor, extinguishing the flames with an exertion of force to prevent a disaster from happening. Watched, as you fell to tears scrambling into this cave." The recount went on, conveyed in the most empathetic words I could muster. Still the intrigue beats itself into my mind again and again.

There's no avoiding it. She needs to know the truth!

"I saw many things within the lush forest, my Lady, but a man chasing your tail was not one of them. There was no other soul in the woods besides the two of us."

Even with little more than a glance over my shoulder I could see Lady Hayashi's eyes widening in shock. As confusion overwhelmed her, she slumped herself on my back without even a word in response. Perhaps they were all but stolen by the sheer chaos that is her thoughts right now. Finally, she broke out of the silence a few steps later.

"N-No, you're lying. I know what I saw..." She mumbled, almost as if uncertain of her own words. Driven by the new-found sense of mystery, somehow I found myself setting my sights into the darkness.

"Hm, let's just keep moving. Something tells me this is no ordinary cave. Perhaps it was no mere coincidence we ended up in here."

* * *

Beads of sweat fell from my forehead, more times than I could count. It wasn't long before my breath grew ragged, the painful sound seeping into the open and breaking the murky silence of the dark, meandering passage within the cave. Just as I was about to relent to the fire rushing through my veins and thoughts screaming out for rest, Lady Hayashi tapped on my right on shoulder.

"Um, Kiera? I think I'm fine now. The wound's numb enough for me to walk on my own at least." She said meekly before dropping off my back before I could say single word, rather hastily at that. If my assumptions are correct, it seemed as though she didn't want to trouble me with the burden of her injury anymore.

"Lady Hayashi? Is something bothering you?" Without a second thought I gave out the question, halting my steps before turning towards her. She looked troubled, but nonetheless shook her head in disagreement. I almost believed her before a series of twitches caught my eye, and I moved even before she reacted!

"Ah!" The very next moment has Lady Hayashi falling, only to be caught by my hands over her shoulders.

"No, you're not fine, not in the slightest. You and I both know how weak you are right now because of that injury." I gave out bluntly, in an attempt to curb her foolishness.

"I'm not...weakened!" Lady Hayashi, as expected, denied the notion defiantly, pulling away from my hands with sheer tenacity. "Ugh..." Still, for all the strength she mustered, she couldn't hide the presence of her own pain, each cry and moan growing louder and more erratic by the seconds.

_Throb._

However, just as my hands reached out for her, my own wound pulsed to life, setting off another wave of fire that seemed to chew right into my bones. In the sudden pain I couldn't help but lose my balance, bending over to the side. The only reason I didn't fell face first to the ground was because I had my legs spread wide apart, my hands clutching down on both knees.

Not good. Perhaps it was too reckless of me to even move...

"I...I could feel it, you know?" All of a sudden Lady Hayashi started mumbling. My eyes gazed back up only to catch sight of her gritting down on her teeth, her eyes falling down. "Every throb from your wound, every tremble from your steps. I could feel it all when resting against your back..." She continued, her voice starting to shake. "It was my own paranoia that led me here, into the bear's den. You could have just left me to my fate...

"Why did you help me?! Why save me?!" Her words grew to a yell.

She was feeling guilty, so much that she disregarded the fact that without my intervention she would have most probably died. Or maybe she did put it all into regard. Caught between her frustration and her fear, tears started falling down the side of her cheeks.

"If you had just kept your nose out of my business you wouldn't have been hurt! Your shoulder wouldn't have been mauled! You wouldn't need..to be...scarred for life..."

Amato was right. She is a kind soul. Pry open her shell and she's just as noble as the beloved Boss himself. Her past experiences had all but mired and influenced her actions. They present themselves as facets of her personality; to stand strong by her own strength, to see the shadow to everyone's light, and to put everything out into the open without doubt. Yet beyond all of that, she still ended up more saddened by my injury than even her own predicament.

Without thinking, I started making my way towards the Lady. The next thing I knew I was taking her into my arms, comforting her with assurances.

"Look, if I had done that, we would have lost you, and that's worse than any scar." I declared with a slight smile, my words surprising even myself. Of course, they were nothing but the truth. One of the rare occurrences when I found myself speaking from my heart. "Now chin up." I gently whispered, pulling her eyes off the ground and wiping away the tears with a handkerchief from my pockets.

"Such tears are unbecoming of a Lady."

* * *

"...Can you do it?"

"...Y-Yeah, I think so."

"...Now!"

"Phiew, zing."

After a sharp tone akin to a ringing bell, the cavern flooded with the light from Kujaku! As the very ground shook from the buildup, the pressure finally reached its peak!

"Kaboom!"

In a grand explosion away from us, the stones shot to the sides revealing a path where the end of the cave stood before. As the dust cleared and the tremors stilled, metal and concrete came into sights, replacing the walls of rock and stone. A hidden bunker underneath the island, I could scarcely believe it. The metal walls were all but eaten away, rusted beneath a thick layer of vegetation. And where there's vegetation, there's also light. Sure enough, moonlight flooded in from the many openings of the ceiling high above...

"What is that?!" Lady Hayashi exclaimed as our steps pushed passed the leaves and the various documents strewn across the floor. The bunker was cozy, but it was far from empty. Ancient firearms from generations past lined up at every corner, it felt more like an armory than anything else. In the center was a grand table, and in its center was the object that caught the good Lady's attention.

I followed suite, and when I laid eyes on the object, the knowledge of it came to me in an instant. It rendered me speechless, trapped in a cacophony of joy, excitement, shock and awe. Forcing out words in an attempt to give clarity to the situation, I only ended up mumbling it all out...

"The fabled blade of the Zanna Settimo...the seventh Legacy Arm..." It was an oddity, even amidst the other armaments, for it was as much cursed as it was celebrated. A literal double-edged sword. And it's name was...

"...Theravada."

* * *

**Well, it seems the understanding between both girls led them to the discovery of a new Legacy Arm! But what the heck is a treasure of the Zanna Famiglia doing in a cave in an unnamed, uninhabited island?! This particular chappy took a while, what with going back to school and all. As usual, give me your thoughts in your reviews I would love to hear them(especially if this was the outcome you expected or not!) Keep your eyes out for the next chapter as I try to bring this arc to a close!**


	78. Influence

**Author's Note:**

**The names of the Legacy Arms are carefully chosen to fit their purpose, but I always wonder if my readers would ever find them strange or out of place?**

* * *

**Chapter 77: Influence.**

**Inner Feelings.**

There it was, remarkably well preserved. A silver blade that stretched over more than a meter, golden carvings adorned from its hilt, centered around a single symmetrical symbol. A dhamma wheel, to be specific; a golden wheel with eight arms protruding out from its center, one for each direction of the compass. The only feature that gave away its age was the discolored linen and blackened shagren(untanned leather) wrapped around the grip of the sword.

"Theravada? As in that one school of Buddhism?" Lady Hayashi muttered out as we got closer, circling around the table. The fact that she recognizes the name was an unexpected surprise.

"Oh, you know of it. Impressive." I exclaimed, beaming a smile towards the good lady.

"It's just...something that came up in my research, that's all!" As if taken aback by my disposition Lady Hayashi found her eyes quickly turning to the sides while giving out her reply, embarrassed. A relief and perhaps a strange contrast to what has been happening since she moved into the mansion. I can only hope this means we can come to terms with each other from here on out.

"It is said that the Zanna Settimo's rise in power, the reestablishment of the Zanna Famiglia after The Great Tragedy, was not without hardship. The rumors mentioned of Settimo traveling the world as a mercenary, overcoming trial after trial before becoming worthy of this sword. The things he faced molded his very being, tempering his very soul..."

Lost in my own thoughts, I attempted to reach out for the Legacy Arm and remove it from the stand it's been attached to for decades when a certain object caught my eye, situated just at the side of the armament.

A black leather-bound book from an era passed. Picking it up are carefully as I could, the name 'Ciro' engraved into the cover caught my eye.

"...This book belonged to the Zanna Settimo!" I exclaimed as surprise overwhelmed me. As opposed to the strewn pieces of documents littered amidst the overgrown vegetation, it looked unblemished and untouched by time. Lovingly cared for, even. With but a final look up towards Lady Hayashi's curious eyes my fingers gently pulled open the cover, diving right into what might have been a lost piece of history of the Zanna Famiglia...

* * *

_19th January 1960_

_The day has been grand! Today is the day my son moved into the Zanna Mansion, the place of our heritage, no longer the rubble and ruin I stumbled upon thirty years ago. __Despite my offer, he didn't seem the least bit interested in inheriting the title of Boss through blood alone. He insisted to earn his place amongst the members of the Fang, to garner respect rather than have it given to him on a silver platter. Can't say I__'__ve ever been so proud!_

_21st September 1960_

_Savio's performance reports has been impressive. Made me wish we could have had some way to preserve them before throwing them into the furnace. Alas, tradition is tradition. Still, __there are times when__ I caught sight of him looking into the distance with blank eyes, mumbling as if having a conversation with someone. __This does not bode well. I hesitate, but it seems my very own son will need to be watched, for his own safety and potentially that of the entire Famiglia._

_31st April 1961_

_Upon joining in on the social gathering in the main hall today I caught sight of a curious thing. The young lass from the Biaggio family, chatting up a storm with my son! Never have I seen him so frank, especially compared to how stoic he seemed when working with the various arms of the Famiglia. Perhaps...this is for the best. Finding light even in the dark corners of the Mafia underworld._

_3rd August 1961_

_This is most troubling. Savio has been nothing less than stellar in his achievements, but his convictions, his ideals, they are barely tolerable along the lines of reality. He wishes to save everyone, the rich and the poor, the stout and the ill. More than once had he put his life on the line for mere commoners. And that friend of his, the one who followed him since they were but children. He is cold, calculating and ruthless in his methods. The two represents different extremes of the same coin. They balance each other out, but how long will it be until the scale is tipped so far along one end that equilibrium can never be restored?_

_1st January 1962_

_Today is the start of the new year, so why is the air filled with the stench of death? I came back from Rome just in time for New Years only to find the main hall filled with the ten bodies of my trusted men, mauled and ravaged as if perverted by beasts. How can this be happening? I don't understand it! They claimed there were no foul play, no sabotage involved! The Zanna Mansion is no longer the safe haven my men knew it to be. I could see it in their eyes..._

_21st February 1962_

_It was Theravada all along. The few days I inadvertently left my Legacy Arm within the mansion ended up with the death of my men. Just yesterday I caught Savio sneaking into my room, looking to pilfer the sacred blade. It seems...my will has withered with age, and I am no longer capable enough to suppress its influence. Perhaps I am no longer worthy...? Whatever the case, I know what I must do._

_31st May 1962_

_Here I am. I had sneak out of the mansion on my own prerogative, bringing my Legacy Arm to this unmarked island from the coast of Venice. I have the dynamite charges ready. This shall be the place where the Legacy of Theravada will rest buried and forgotten, its influence over the Zanna Famiglia cleansed. The blade is alive, you see. It chooses its wielder, lulling them close through a mix of desire and fear, playing on their innermost thoughts. Those who put their hands around the grip is then judged. Blood is spilled from the unworthy, their very life slowly devoured by the blade in time. Only those who achieved a state of zen; inner peace, free of all trouble and desire can wield it. A trait I can no longer claim to bear. I will not let my son suffer under the influence of this thing any longer._

* * *

"..."

"...thud."

The last entry was followed by the soft closing of the diary. As seconds passed I was still lost for words, as embarrassing as that was. Looking up, I realized Lady Hayashi was having similar thoughts, her eyes rolling down to the ground as if having just heard something unpleasant. Certainly, the information I got from reading wasn't exactly the most desirable. Worst of all, I couldn't get the final date noted out of my mind, as a certain record from a gravestone popped into mind...

"31st of May, 1962..." I muttered out when the revelation became too much to hold in. "...That's the day before the Zanna Settimo got assassinated."

"Eek...so the actions he took to protect his son ended up causing him his life? How terrible! He must have known he'd be vulnerable without his Legacy Arm..." Chiming in with thoughts of her own, Lady Hayashi surprised me by quickly connecting one piece of information with the other despite her shock.

"No, he knew, but the safety of the Zanna Famiglia came first, above all else." I replied with confidence. However, a scary thought nevertheless spawned from those words. Would Amato do the same thing if such a circumstance happen?

...He would. I can't ever let things reach that point. I don't want him to have to make that choice.

"...creak."

"What's that?!" As if shaken by the sound clearly not of our making, the two of us turned simultaneously towards the door leading into the bunker. There, slinking out of the black shadows, was a figure. A man in a torn, combat uniform, with buzzcut hair and a pulsing, horrid right eye. Its veins oozed purple light.

"Thud." Suddenly a second sound in the vicinity tugged at my senses, and from the corner of the room, I saw him. The same accessories dangling, ringing with each step. The long mask hung on its face, the inverse cross hanging before me once more. Before I knew it, something...snapped.

And all I could see was red.

"Bastaaard!" The word exploded out at the top of my voice, my vision homing in on the masked man as I threw my arm out, swinging my fist at him like a beast gone mad! I can't help it, everything was rushing back. The blood, the tears, the sorrow. It's as if the scars were throbbing in the presence of the one who made them! "Ambrogio! How dare you appear before me again after all these years! After...after what you've done! What you made me do! Momma-!" My voice cracked at the very last part. Before I knew it, I was gritting down on my teeth as tears formed around my eyes despite all effort to contain them!

However, in a blink of an eye, as I took a stance and thrust my palm forward, Ambrogio disappeared! Nothing but metal and stone in the path of my assault!

"Smash!"

_Crack._

"Ugh..." As trained as I was, pain still surged through muscle and bone as the wall was broken and dented. In a sudden state of panic, I turned around only to come face to face with Ambrogio, armed with his oversized cross!

"Crack!"

With a swing too fast for my eyes, my sides felt as thought they were shattered as pain burst forth, throwing me off the ground and slamming into the side of the walls!

"Gragh!" The crash sent all manner pain wrecking through my body, so much that I ended up crying out in pain. But that wasn't gonna stop the vendetta that had been burning for the past eight years! However, pulling myself on my feet, I realized charging in with nothing but blind rage accomplishes nothing.

I need a weapon...of course!

Without a second thought, I broke into a dash, scrambling towards the one weapon placed in the center of the bunker! Ignoring the recklessness of such an act, my hands reached out and wrapped my fingers around the grip of the sword, just as someone else's hand did the same! Lady Hayashi appeared by my side, looking just as surprised as I was, before the two of us nodded in agreement. Just as the two enemies and their overwhelming presence lunged at us from our back, we tore the Theravada off its pedestal!

"Yeeeaaarrrggghhh" In a frantic swing we threw Theravada in a wide arc from our right, slashing into our enemies as we spun around on our heels!

Everything came to a grinding halt after that. Like a fog lifting itself off of our senses, the shadows receded, and silence once again filled the decades old bunker. The light of the setting sun glared through the tiny openings littered around the corners, but Ambrogio and Duilio had disappeared. No, it was as if they were never there in the first place. Still slightly disoriented, the light from outside also outlined a rusted door which looked as thought it could break with but a touch of my hand.

"W-What just happened?" Before I knew it, Lady Hayashi started mumbling out the questions on her mind, signifying that it wasn't just me that was feeling confused. After a second of contemplation, however, everything began to make sense. The notes, the records and what we just experienced. But with clarity came a horrible sense of avoidance on the subject; I didn't want to even look at the blade, let alone think about it.

"I think it's high time we reunite with Amato and the others, no?" I declared with a smile, before reaching out for the handle. Lady Hayashi, as stunned as she was, gently nodded in agreement and followed my actions, and began pushing down on the door. Brushing off everything else, the faint smell of vegetation and rust were quickly replaced by a gush of fresh air as the hinges twisted and the metal door open after a long creak...

* * *

Dusk soon fell upon the island, but not before we managed to trail our way along the coast, and got back together with the rest of the Zanna Famiglia. Nursing our wounds by the campfire, the discussion we had was the only thing distracting me from the painful throbbing of my wounds at regular intervals. Everyone was worried sick, and thought they followed our trail into the forest, Sergio mentioned that they never was able to find anything like the cave that collapsed on us.

"So your shield broke into pieces when you used it against the rampaging bear?" Sergio questioned, his pupils shrinking in disbelief.

"Yes." I replied nonchalantly, eyes barely being kept open by following the dancing sparks of the orange flames. All the medications Vito prescribed for me only left me more drowsier than ever. Dazed left and right, I nearly fell to one side if it wasn't for Lady Hayashi cushioning me with her shoulder. She didn't seem to mind as much as I thought she would, and instead shifted closer to my side with a slight smile, though she did tried to hide it by looking to the sides.

"Did the beast stand more than two meters tall?! After your shield broke, you fought it with your bare hands?!" This time it was Regina who bombarded me with the questions, caught up with the sheer shock of it all. She seemed more impressed and excited than anything else.

"Uh, right. Yes and...yes." Jolted back into focus, I struggled to collect my thought before giving her the same one word answers I did for Sergio.

"This sword...its craft is amazing! I've never seen anything like it! Light on the swing, but heavy enough to rend through both flesh and steel. You say you found this within that one abandoned bunker?" The words spilled forth one after another, displaying the expertise of a master swordsman, surprising us all considering Johann's usual demeanor. He had his eyes pinned on Theravada ever since we made sure our wounds were taken care off.

"Yes, but that's not just any sword. It's the Legacy Arm of the Zanna Settimo, Theravada." Again I reiterate the fact with glee. After all, the more Legacy Arms we manage to reclaim, the stronger the Zanna Famiglia will be.

"You mean it's just like how Kujaku was the Legacy Arm of the Zanna Secondo?" Lady Hayashi mumbled beside me, picking up the jewel from around her neck as she did.

"Yes, all nine of them has an affinity with the Zanna bloodline, and when used by one of Zanna blood, they can unlock their true power..." I gave out the description as my eyes fell on the silver blade untouched by time. Suddenly, the memory of what happened in that bunker replayed itself in my mind, and I couldn't help but look away. "Besides that, may I ask where Lord Amato is?" I asked with worry, seeing how we never caught sight of him since returning.

At those words Sergio and the others only looked to one another with uncertainty, scratching at the back of their heads, before giving me an answer.

"When we gave up the search within the forest, Amato kinda got mad and decided to continue all by himself. He should be back any moment now..." Sergio replied reluctantly, embarrassed at the recollection and looking down in shame.

"Thud..."

Speak of the devil, and he doth appear. From our back, Amato appeared, his feet shuffling along the pebbles and the sand, his face covered with dirt and grime here and there.

"...Kiera...Yoko.." He looked positively distraught, his disheveled hair in a wild mess as he stumbled to our side. "...your shoulder...your arm...and her leg...I..." Mumbling out as he caught sight of our injuries, no doubt my lord was feeling extremely frustrated. His eyes were starting to turn red.

"We're both fine, Amato." Overwhelmed by a sudden rush of joy, I felt my guard dropping as I beamed Amato a smile, hoping to curb his worries. However, it didn't seem to have much effect.

"...darn it! I should have followed you back then...I even promised to protect Yoko..." Gritting down on his teeth hard, Amato was so ashamed that he couldn't even look me in the eyes as he spoke. I saw him reaching out to help with his hands only to pull them back when he realized he couldn't do much with the extent of our wounds. That left him clenching down on his fists hard, shaking as his fingers dug into his palm. It was expected, but the sheer intensity of his concern was piling upon his guilt and regret, the very act leaving me lost for words...

"...Amato...at least we're both safe and alive now..."

* * *

A few hours had passed. I thought I would have succumbed to the condition of my wounds, but it seems the constant training drilled into my bones refused to let up. Sitting on the piece of wood alongside the extinguished campfire, a sudden chill from a stray gust of wind pulled me back from the lucid glow of the moon reflected upon the waning sea. The urge to stretch myself was only thwarted by the stiffness of the cast wrapped around my left arm, from the tip of my fingers to my shoulder-blade.

"Uh..K-Kiera, you're still up?" A girl's voice caught me by surprise from my back. Though unexpected, I had a good idea who it was even without turning around.

"Lady Hayashi. A pleasure as always. I suppose today's happenings left you a bit too restless for sleep, yes?" With confidence I gave out the greeting, making sure there was no trace of exhaustion in my voice as I met her amber eyes.

"Yeah...I guess." Lady Hayashi halfheartedly replied as she looked to the side, taking a seat beside me with a limp to her steps. "So it was Theravada all along, huh? That thing sure had strung me along for a wild ride..." Lady Hayashi muttered out as regret all but took over her demeanor. There wasn't much I could give as a response besides a gentle nod of my own. "Kiera, I've been thinking about what you did, and what you said..." She continued, gently slapping herself on her cheeks before turning to face me with determination. "...I'm so sorry for yelling at you back in the cave! I apologize for dishonoring your decision, questioning your actions even though you did to save my life!"

"L-Lady Hayashi! There's no need for this-!" Taken aback at the unexpected apology as well as her suddenly jumping up on her feet to give a bow, I found myself in one of the rare situations where I'm at a lost for the right words.

"There's that too! I know I haven't been...the easiest person to get along with, but after what happened today, I have no more reason to distrust you and your intentions. I owe you too much..." As if swallowing her pride, I watched as Lady Hayashi came to terms with her thoughts and her emotions as she gave out her explanation. "...so I'm sorry for all the fuss over my name before. From now on I'd like it if you can just call me 'Yoko'. Can we start over this whole idea of friendship?" As she meekly gave out her last sentence, Lady Hayashi, I mean Yoko, extended her hand out to me.

She poured her heart into those words, leaving me no chance whatsoever to disagree.

"Hee hee, all right Yoko!" I answered as I took her up on her offer, shaking her hand with a slight chuckle!

"Hey, I'm trying to be serious here! What's so funny?!" Slightly annoyed by my reaction, a tint of red flushed Yoko's cheeks as she cried out. She must have thought herself a fool, having done something out of place. She's way off mark, though.

"No, no! I'm just...relieved. If what happened today was needed for the two of us to speak heart to heart with each other then I'm glad it occurred, even if it meant hurting my left arm and shoulder-!" What started out as a jest ended with something soft pressing down on my very being, cutting off my words before I could even finish. Overwhelmed by a faintly sweet scent, it took me a second before I realized it was Yoko giving me a hug as tears flowed down her cheeks.

"*Sniff*...stupid..." The one word was all she could mutter amidst the rapid drumming of her heart. As calm as she looked, it must have still been extremely difficult for her to accept the fact that someone sacrificed so much for her.

"All right, all right, I apologize. That joke was uncalled for." I confessed as the hug came to an end, and Yoko got on her feet. "Well then, it's late. As caretaker, can I ask that you head straight for bed. I suspect there's still a slew of activities planned for the spring break getaway." I gently gave out with a smile.

"Hm, okay. It was still a pleasant surprise though, that the two of us were able to lay hands on Theravada, that we were deemed 'worthy'!" Wiping away her tears, Yoko's frown changed into a slight smile as she closed off the conversation with those few words and nodded in reply, before slowly making her way back to her tent. It was those exact few words that wiped away my smile, however. Eyes trailing in Yoko's direction, a certain someone paced his steps towards me, walking passed Yoko as he did.

The look in his eyes is enough to shake even the staunchest men in the Zanna Famiglia. With what I spoke with Yoko just minutes ago, I have a good idea why he's here. His gray eyes glistening in moonlight, Vito bore none of his usual crooked smile as he stopped in front of me. Only the serious look of a doctor upset at the patient under his care.

"Kiera, now that everyone's gone to bed, you gonna tell me what happened to that arm of yours?" He questioned, eyes slipping through the ends of his auburn hair, looking down on me from where he stood. As my eyes scanned across the swollen fingers, barely moving around the rock-solid fiberglass cast he had wrapped around my left arm, I gave him the same answer I did the first time he asked.

"I told you already, Vito. The bear's claw ripped a chunk of flesh-!"

"Off of your shoulder, I know! That was what left that scar on your back!" Annoyed by what he's hearing, Vito ended up yelling out his words and cutting me off mid-sentence. "Those gashes, the way the cuts are formed across the surface of your left arm...the way the bone splintered...it's unlike any wound I've ever seen! It's as if the injuries erupted from your very flesh!" Vito exclaimed, wildly distraught at how absurd his words sounded. I should have expected no less from Vito. He may joke about many things, but none takes the role of medic as seriously as he does, even if he enjoys toeing along the line purely for the sake of challenge.

"There's no possible way they could have been caused by an encounter with a bear, so can you tell me the truth?! What in the world could have caused such grievous injuries to someone of your caliber?! What the hell happened in that cave?!" Vito rambled on, bombarding me with question after question, which only made it that much more difficult for me to answer.

"..."

In the end, I found myself giving in to my own pride and refusing to say even a single word.

"Fine! Fine! You wanna keep it a secret?! You can suffer on your own! Just know that you may never be able to use that arm in a fight again!" Having had enough, Vito threw his arms to the sides as he made his declaration, shouting out the words before stomping back to his tent. All the while, I didn't know what to say, or even what I should show on my face. The memory of what happened had started replaying itself in my mind, and it was too distracting for me to think of anything else...

_The pain was instantaneous, so much so that I started gritting down on my teeth before I knew it. At first I assumed it was because I used my injured left arm to propel the swing of the blade, and that the recoil backfired harder than I anticipated. It wasn't until we re-united with the others did I realized my palm was drenched with blood, from the many wounds that formed, the splitting of flesh and bone. By then the same injuries has began tearing at my arm and elbow, blood subtly trickling forth from the stinging wounds._

Next, Yoko's words kept speaking in the depths of my mind, as well as the passage from the diary I read...

"_It was still a pleasant surprise though, that the two of us were able to lay hands on Theravada, that we were deemed 'worthy'!"  
_

_The blade is alive, you see. It chooses its wielder, lulling them close through a mix of desire and fear, playing on their innermost thoughts. Those who put their hands around the grip is then judged. Blood is spilled from the unworthy, their very life slowly devoured by the blade in time. Only those who achieved a state of zen; inner peace, free of all trouble and desire can wield it._

Crestfallen, I sat there unmoving as the night dwindled away into dawn. My eyes pinned on the sight of my injured left arm, I repeatedly pondered on its meaning to no end...

* * *

**Finally, I'm done with this chapter and the end of the this arc itself. I hope it isn't too abrupt! Nobody's perfect, and it seems Kiera's no exception to that rule! How will the bond between the two girls, forged over this little incident play a part in the future chapters? And what of the diagnosis Vito gave of Kiera's injuries? As usual, give me your thoughts in your reviews below and keep your eyes out for the next chapter update to find out what's gonna happen next!**


	79. A Trip Down To Palazzo Ducale

**Author's Note:**

**Well then, if you guys were expecting more of the spring break getaway I'm afraid you'll be sorely disappointed. The time's gonna jump forward a week or so, diving headfirst into a brand new arc! We're going back to school, but we're not exactly returning into the classrooms! That's right, it's time for a field trip!**

* * *

**Chapter 78: A Trip Down To Palazzo Ducale**

**Venice, Italy – Doge's Palace.**

The traditional music from the olden times lingered in the air amidst the cool breeze seeping along the corridors. The daunting halls of the palace, once used as home to the supreme authority of Venice, now welcomed me and my steps in the form of a museum of sorts. Sculptures can be found in every corner despite this being the public service area of the Palazzo Ducale. Shaking away the mix of awe, nervousness and excitement, I quickly adjusted my satchel before trotting towards the decided meeting area.

"Hmm, everything's so quiet...am I actually early for once?" I mumbled to myself, checking around the place for a clock. Taking a good look around, the sheer silence of it all, even from those people working at the counters, magnified the sound of my steps. It feels as though I'm sneaking around a place I shouldn't be at. "C-Could I have gotten the date wrong?! W-Was I supposed to be at school right now?!"

I can't but feel the gnawing feeling at the back of my mind grow stronger! I knew that the field trip was gonna happen this week, but I didn't actually check the calendar when I woke up this morning! I was so afraid that I'd ended up late trying to find my way here that I left in a hurry! This is bad! I think I really did get the dates wrong! I'd better head towards the service counter and check with the personnel working-

"Good-morn-ing..."

Out of nowhere, a familiar voice calmed my nerves and something soft pushed itself at my back, arms wrapped around my neck from the side. Strands of ebon hair tickled and brushed against my skin, and as I turned, the glow of her emerald eyes brought a shy smile across my face.

"...Boy-friend~!"

"G-Gina! M-Morning!" Without much thought I called out her name in surprise, returning her greeting in an attempt to calm myself and maybe get rid of the burst of heat, thoughts and excitement rushing to my head.

Hm, I guess I wasn't wrong after all.

"D-Did she just say boyfriend?! No way! No way!" All of a sudden, the light from the entrance began filled with shadows as the whole of my class followed. One of the guys must have overheard her, crying out in denial. You could say it was exactly the kind of scene I wanted to prevent from happening!

"The two look great with each other, though!" A random girl gave out, looking as if she was cheering Gina on. That was enough to make us trail our eyes towards each other before catching sight of the red tint flushing out cheeks, which we could do little to hide. In a slight panic, I ended up putting my arm on Gina's shoulder and hugging her closer, which only made the two of us more restless. Still, it was surprising to find approval amongst the class, even if it's mainly from the girls.

"Nooo! I refuse to accept this! How did our favorite idol fell prey to that idiot's pathetic advances?! I would have been fine with anybody else, but Zanna?! Blasphemy!" Yet, the howling continued, the guys falling into despair from just the sight of us together. Although they're merely words, some of them were starting to grate on my nerves...

"All right, all right, leave the drama to the classrooms, guys. Remember, when you're out of school, you represent the face of Venice High. I expect you all to be on your best behaviors. Oh, and good job on being early today, mister Zanna, though I wonder if today being a field trip had anything to do with it?" The teacher in charge of our class today wondered out loud, inciting a good number of chuckles before starting the routine attendance checking to see if everyone's present. Mister Russo had on him a clipboard and a blue, short-sleeved shirt as opposed to his usual suspenders, and looked none too excited for the trip itself.

After a good amount of growling from the guys and chatter from the girls, I finally found myself relaxing my shoulders with relief as the majority of the class dissipated into the various corners of the hall. Despite all the hoo haa, Gina was still happily clinging on to my left arm, not showing any signs of letting go anytime soon, though that's not necessarily a bad thing. From the back, Sergio, Johann and Yoko appeared, poking fun at our situation with a look that says they kinda expected all that's happened.

"Well, I for one, hope that this doesn't become a recurring thing in the days to come..." Sergio pointed out with his index finger, waving it around at all those students walking away from us.

"Ahem. You're getting rather bold with your advances, Regina. Since when did the two of you get so close?" Yoko gave out the observation with a snarky tone, before she got annoyed at the sight, furrowed her brows and looked away.

"Oh I know! They got closer over the spring break getaway! They've been more lovey-dovey ever since the trip to that island!" Johann muttered out, before an off-hand glare from Yoko sent him hiding behind Sergio's back.

"Good morning, people! Sergio, Johann, Yoko." Before I added anything into the conversation, it didn't feel right without greeting my friends first, to which they returned the greeting with a nod, a wave and a 'good morning' with a smile. Though Yoko's seemed to be slightly forced. "I guess it's high time Gina and I brought it out into the open. We're dating, and that's nothing to be ashamed of. I guess it's better than being so secretive in school all the time." I declared, both out loud and mentally in my mind, as Gina nodded with a smile in agreement.

"Anyways, did you guys have trouble coming in here?" I wondered, signaling towards the satchel hanging at my side, which housed my Legacy Arm. Indeed, the Porta del Frumento, the waterside of the palace itself and only entrance into the place, had no shortage of guards. I'm still surprised I managed to come in despite the many wandering eyes falling on my satchel.

"No trouble." Sergio replied first, with a grin that had victory written all over it. That's also when I noticed the extra bag he had slung over his right shoulder; a black and yellow sports bag. "My 'change of clothes'." He exclaimed, masking his words with a wink.

"Yeah, and here's my swor-*cough*-I mean my bow, uh...for archery club!" Johann gave out, nearly giving away the location of his weapon if not for the timely elbow Sergio shoved at him from his side. The long bag similar to those used by the archery club to transport their bows made for the perfect carrier for a sword too, apparently.

"Meh, mine's just this jewel around my neck, no need for any subtleties." Yoko pointed out when I turned to her, shrugging her shoulders.

"Sigh, I always feel kinda left out when you're having meetings like this, Amato..."Gina commented as she watched on from beside me, looking kinda down.

Hm, maybe it wasn't such a good idea bringing this up in the first place. Seeing her friends involved in something she's not must be kinda difficult to ignore, though I intend to keep her out of mafia business no matter what happens. Still, it's not as if we're on a mission today, the weapons are just there for emergency purposes.

"Uh, don't you think you've strangled that left arm of his long enough, Regina?" Yoko finally asked out the question, looking really annoyed at the sight by now.

"Nuh uh! I'm just having my fill of hugs before we have to split up for the day!" Gina replied with a childish act, which not only made her look cuter(in my opinion) but the conversation that much more awkward. Still, Gina brought up a valid point. Supposedly, this isn't just any ordinary field trip. A collaboration between two schools, from what I understood...

...Now I wish I didn't sleep through that briefing we had the other day.

* * *

"Sigh. All right, people. As I said in the briefing, this will be a collaboration between two schools, Venice High and Venice Elementary, to be specific." Mister Russo instructed after rounding up the class before the reception area. Again, he made no attempt to hide his own opinion on the field trip through his slumped shoulders and occasional sighing between his words.

"Soon, the elementary class would arrive, and each of you will get paired up with a student from that class. The objective of this pairing is so that you people can experience what's it's like to be leaders as seniors, while your juniors get an idea of what to expect come high school, as well as what their senior is capable of." Mister Russo gave out, laying the important details out on the table while summarizing everything else.

"All right, all of you report to Miss Adele Siena for your allocations as to who you'll be taking care of for the rest of the day!" He concluded with a small outburst before making his way towards the entrance, probably looking to welcome our juniors from Venice Elementary. As the gang and I made our way towards Prez, we were only greeted by look of reluctance and worry.

"Uh...Adele? You okay...?" I can't help asking as we stopped before her, ready to claim what looked like data sheets on the elementary students.

"N-No, it's nothing. I just...can't handle kids." She admitted, looking slightly embarrassed before going through the stack of documents she had on hand and singling out ours, passing them to each of us. When she laid eyes on the last one to be given out, mine to be exact, her eyes widened in surprise. "Oh boy, looks like you're gonna have your hands full with this one..." She exclaimed, giving me my data sheet with a sympathetic look on her face, before moving on to the rest of the class.

"Y-You're kidding, right?" On reflex I gave out the comment, before moving on to read up on the various information written on the piece of document. The way it was written gave me the impression that the student itself filled up the form, and besides your basic details like who to contact should an emergency occur, the document is also laced with various tidbits on the hobbies and personality of the student.

"Whoa! My guy won the inter-school track meet! He proclaims he's a laid-back guy who likes to takes his time with things, striving for quality above all else." Sergio hollered as he read on, obviously excited by this whole idea of senior-junior pairing.

"Dude, mine's so full of passion! It's written here that he wishes to be the best artist in Venice when he grows up. There's even a picture of a few of his venetian glass works attached! They don't look half bad!" Johann cried out after Sergio, leaving the rest of us widely impressed. From the sound of it, Venice Elementary is school to some very talented young minds. I honestly didn't know what to expect because I never went there to study before.

"A boy who's only ideal is the safety of his home? He wants to be a policeman..." Unlike the guys, Yoko quietly read out details on her junior with discretion, making sure she's loud enough for the rest of us to hear, but not loud enough to make a ruckus of things. Still, she sounded interested by the tone of her voice.

"Ooh, mine wants to be a fashion designer! She sounds awesome for an elementary kid!" Beside me, Gina couldn't hold back her excitement either. In an instant, the sheet of paper managed to rouse her out of whatever lethargy she had for the field trip before.

Everyone seemed more or less impressed by their junior, and soon I couldn't help but feel excited, expecting to be surprised when I finally get to know mine. Turning back to the piece of document in my hand, I started reading through the details word for word. Her name is Zoe Moretti. Besides her name however, there wasn't much else written down to give me an impression of what type of person she really is. All the picture portrayed was a girl with golden hair, tied up in twin pigtails and deep, brown eyes.

There was one sentence that was constantly repeated though. Scribbled in every corner, it read:

'So you'd think yourself my equal, huh? Well, you'd better be ready to earn the respect of a genius before the day's done!'

"*Gulp*" I can't help but swallow a mouthful in response to what I read. Is it just me, or did that sounded more like a challenge than anything else? Are these really the words of an elementary school girl?

"What is it, Amato?" Sergio suddenly called out, making his way to my side. I must have had a worried look on my face. The next thing I knew I was handing him Zoe's data sheet, though I wondered if that was the right thing to do. "...Whaaat?" His reaction was that of disbelief, dragging out that one word while taken aback. The other who read it had similar expressions. "This must be her idea of a joke." He continued, his words catching me by surprise.

...Of course, it's just a joke pulled off by an elementary school kid! It's nothing serious and nothing to worry about! I must have been overreacting...

"Crash!"

"Huh?!" A sudden explosion of noise in the distance shocked us into action, and already I start to hone in on where it came from, my hand reaching out for Fenris within my satchel. "You guys heard that?!" I cried out, before an unwanted scent was picked up by my nose. The smell of black soot and charred wood that was slowly lingering into the air of the museum! In a snap, we synchronized our actions by sending signals to one another before I turned to Gina, who was becoming more and more worried.

"Emergency! A fire broke out in the kitchen area! The sprinkler system has malfunctioned! Everyone, please make your way to the exit!" Out of nowhere, a security guard ran into the scene in heavy breaths, his attire blackened and slightly burned in the corners.

"D-Did he say fire?!" One of the guys still lumbering around the main hall screamed in disbelief.

"No way!" Yet another cried out in denial soon after.

"I'm outta here!" A few of the guys turned tail as soon as the words reached them, pushing and shoving their way towards the exit.

"Aaaahhhh!" Before we knew it, chaos had all but swallowed the hearts of everyone present, with a few of the girls screaming as they scrambled towards the exit alongside some of the staff that was working in the service and reception counter!

"Gina, everyone! We need to round up the rest of the class! Get everyone outside!" I gave out without thinking, doing my best to stay calm amidst the screaming and shouting that had started to go off. After a brief nod, we broke off into different directions in order to help with the evacuation. Just as Gina started running however, I found myself chasing after her, grabbing down on her left hand. "Gina...be careful, all right?!" I muttered out as the worry hit me hard.

"Yeah, you too Amato!" She replied, before pulling me close and giving me a peck on the cheek for good luck and then breaking into a dash into the many rooms of the Museo dell'Opera. By now, white smoke was blurring the sight of the surroundings, making it difficult to breath and even more difficult to find my way around!

"Hold up, what did you say?! There's still an elementary school student trapped in the old kitchen area?!" Between the various voices crying and yelling out, a certain person's words caught my ear, tensing me up with shock. A certain thought came to mind, born out of wild thoughts and an out of control imagination.

What if it's the girl I'm supposed to pair up with for the day?! The one I'm supposed to look after?!

"Her name's Zoe?!"

...No!

"Feeenriiisss!"

In a knee jerk reaction fueled by adrenaline and driven by panic, I screamed out the word before breaking into a sprint, clawing my way down the corridors in an attempt to reach the old kitchen area before it's too late!

* * *

After that everything went hazy for a bit. The only that was clear to me was the fire burning in my throat, growing hotter as I got more and more dehydrated amidst the scalding air brushing against my skin. Oh right, even when jumping into a room lit by dancing orange flames, I didn't slow down one bit. With the risk of being trapped fresh on my mind, I did my best ransacking the whole kitchen, searching every inch of the place as best I possibly could, hoping to find the girl crying in the corner.

But there wasn't anyone. Rushing out of the gates, as the fresh air and gusts of wind greeted me, I remembered all I could find was a doll thrown on the ground. A hand-made doll, which had miraculously remained untouched by the flames all around it. Gina and the others were wrecked with worry, but smiled with relief when I approached, stumbling in my steps.

I don't know what to think. What if I didn't check the right places? What if Zoe was still in there? Worst of all, what if I was too late?!

"Amato, you're okay! I'm so glad you're not hurt!" Gina exclaimed, nearly bursting into tears as she jumped on me with a hug. "When you were the only person left in there, I...we didn't know what to do..!" Gina continued, crying herself into my shoulder while all I could do in response was force a smile with my eyes still pinned to the ground. That didn't last long.

"I couldn't find the kid...I couldn't find the one kid still trapped in that kitchen...!" I mumbled, partly in despair and partly in denial. Tears welled up, but when Gina pulled my face towards her, her beaming smile managed to push them back.

"...Amato...didn't you hear me? You were the only person left in there! The kid managed to get out on her own!" Gina declared while still smiling, shaking me by my shoulders in order to sink the words in.

"There you are you little brat! Come here, you're coming with me!" All of a sudden, my attention flew towards the harsh tone of voice yelling away a few feet away from us. There, one of the museum's security guard had their hands full with something, or rather, someone.

"No! Let go! Let go! I told you it wasn't my fault!" As we got closer, Gina and the others behind me, the problem the security guard was dragging along came into view. The very same girl from the picture earlier this morning, the same golden hair and the same brown eyes. When I got close, her furrowed brows went away as soon as she laid sight on me, a smile stretching across her dainty little face. As if tired of the struggle, she slipped right out of the security guard's grasp before skipping her way before me. "Hey, you got the doll out of there, great job! May I have it back, please?" She asked curtly, stretching out her palm.

With no reason to disagree, I ended up placing the doll in her hands with little more than a nod. Apparently that was enough to catch the attention of the very same guard from before, who now looked at me with the same stink eye he had for Zoe before.

"You innit with this kid, boy?" The guard questioned, glaring me down with suspicion. Still confused over everything that's happened, the girl started hiding herself behind me, hugging me close as if I was a shield between her and the guard.

"That's right, the name's Zoe Moretti, girl genius, and this hunk of a guy is my assistant!" With a sly grin, the kid answered the question before I could chip in.

"...What?!" After stumbling back and landing myself in the arms of the other guards, I couldn't help but cry out when I realized that Zoe was dragging me down with her into whatever predicament she's in!

* * *

**Ha ha, I certainly had fun writing this chapter! This arc will be the first in which I'll be trying out something new, in this case, the introduction of characters who would be confined to the particular arc alone, with the arc's chapters providing the necessary developments for those characters! That's why I would love to hear what you guys think of Zoe in your review! The day hasn't even started, and already something's happened! Keep your eyes out for more shenanigans in the next chapter!**


	80. Insane Not Equals Genius

**Author's Note:**

**Writing a genius feels challenging. Nobody can really claim they fully understand how a prodigy would think or feel, right? Do they think five steps ahead? Or do they keep everything within their thoughts? I have to find some way to make the character believable, yet still manage to portray and invoke the appropriate emotions I want the character to.**

* * *

**Chapter 79: Insane =/= Genius**

The blank screen suddenly flickered on, clearing away the noise and the grains. I don't know exactly what happened, but somehow Zoe and I ended up in the security office, with three of the burly security guards at our side as well as two police officers. Then there were the more imposing people of the group, led by a girl in a french maid uniform. Kiera had arrived, bringing with her a contingent of the Famiglia. Getting back to the recording, we began watching what really caused the fire that all but burned down the kitchen area of the Doge's Palace.

At first there were a whole lot of nothing, just security footage of the kitchen area. Scratch that, a kitchen converted exhibition space. Then, about thirty minutes before the first spark of flame, Zoe wandered into the room. You see, there were these furniture laid out across the different corners, memorabilia from another time, perhaps? The stoves were among one of them. When Zoe tinkered with it for a while with no success, she brought out a box of matches, lighting up each stick one by one before bringing out the same doll from before with a triumphant smile.

It looks like...she was trying to set the thing on fire, pushing the doll ever closer to the flame. Uh, this isn't looking good. No matter how eccentric she can be, Zoe wouldn't try to set the whole museum on fire...right?

After a good ten minutes of soft-grilling her toy, she had moved on from matchsticks to burning up chunks of crumpled paper. All the while though, she had her eyes zipping across the room, from looking to the entrance of the particular exhibition space to the many corners of the walls and ceiling. However, she wasn't vigilant enough to catch the guard sneaking up on her, the same uncle who had her in a bind just minutes ago outside. The guard panicked at the sight of the fire, kicking and thrashing away at the burning pile with a broom.

That didn't help. One thing led to the other after that. The broom caught on fire, and with a wild swing the flames transferred to the curtains at the side of the grand windows. Within seconds the kitchen became engulfed in what looked like a fireball, forcing the uncle to push his way out of the smoke and flames coughing and wheezing. He stared back into the room in despair; Zoe wasn't with him. Scratching down hard on his scalp, he made the decision to run towards the reception area for help, all while screaming into his walkie-talkie!

Before the video blacked out, though, we saw Zoe sneaking out of the old kitchen area, making a run towards the exit with a worried look on her face...

"Ahem, as you can see, the fire could have been contained. It was the buffoonery of your own security staff that led to the spread of flames beyond the old kitchen area!" Kiera reprimanded, scaring away both myself and the rest of the security guards with a sudden glare! The uncle caught in video in particular, was so startled he nearly ran out of the room from the look on his face.

"Stop right there! How dare you accuse this man in spite of him performing his duty!" A rather animated man in bob cut and striking purple outfit retorted, being the only one in the room unfazed by Kiera's imposing presence. I didn't notice him before. He must have arrived while we were focused on the playback of the captured security footage. At his words, the guards seemed to perk up and rally. "I, Garofalo Luigi, Grand Curator of Palazzo Ducale, will not stand such slander!"

Somehow I don't think the word 'Grand' was needed in his title. Don't all museums usually have but one curator?

"The girl lit the first match, that much alone should suffice for a charge for arson!" He roared out furiously as his fingers twitched and pointed at the kid still clinging to my side. Taken aback by the sheer tenacity of the man even in the presence of the Zanna Famiglia, Kiera only grew increasingly annoyed. It wasn't apparent, but there were signs only someone who had been living with her for six years could tell.

"You dare raise your voice at me?! That fire was unintentional, and don't get me started on the faulty water sprinkler systems and how they never went off!" Kiera objected, stomping into the ground hard enough I could have sworn I felt the tremor surging across the floor!

"E-Enough! Whether it was an accident or not, her actions brought great risk to the personnel working here as well as the visitors to this palace this morning! I'm afraid we're going to have to take her in!" Injecting themselves before Kiera and Mister Luigi came to a clash, the policemen made the declaration as they turned towards us, eyes pinned on Zoe. As the girl started to look distraught, I somehow ended up deciding to try and get her off the hook.

I mean, she's supposed to be under my care for the day, right? I can't just stand there watching as they took her away in cuffs, can I? "There's no need for anything that drastic, right officers? I mean, the fire was put out rather quickly, and nobody got injured. That Mister is even cordoning off the old kitchen area and reopening the palazzo to the public for the rest of the day!"

"Are you insane?! Do you know how much it'll cost me if I close the museum for the day?! Of course it'll stay open!" He declared, shooting me a look with squinted eyes that said I knew nothing about business. "Not to mention, with what happened I'll have the tourists coming in in droves! Now arrest that little troll, officers!"

Hey, there's no need for any names! I'm starting to dislike this man...

"Damn opportunistic scoundrel..." Kiera muttered under her breath, nearly popping a vein. I half-expected Kiera to whip out a weapon right there and then, if not for one of the officers cutting in with what seemed like a message from his superior.

"...yeah? What?!...got it. Understood, sir." He complied through his cell phone after a few expressions of surprise and obvious confusion.

The next few words he told us would have been too good to be true. I wouldn't have believed it if I weren't hearing it for myself.

"The two of them are free to go. All charges are dropped. Chief's orders."

* * *

"Well, that went way better than I thought." The kid with the golden hair gave out as she paced her steps in front of me, casually talking about what happened as if it was little more than a joke. The girl named Zoe pushed herself away from me as soon as we got away from both the museum's security and the Zanna Famiglia, with a cry of 'pervert' or two. Apparently my hand had found its way onto her wrist in my attempt to keep her away from the police.

But that's not important right now.

"Why...did you start that fire, Zoe? What were you planning to do to that doll?" I asked out to the back of her head, recalling what I saw from the security footage. Yes, that had been gnawing at the back of my mind for a while now. Despite the fire largely being accidental, her actions did make it possible for the accident to happen.

"I was doing some testing, trying to see if the stove in the old kitchen area could work or not. The doll was just a side project." She tossed her answer my way as we passed the many exhibits of the Musell dell'Opera. Was she being serious? Was it all just some experiment for her?

"You did know that the fire could have spread beyond the old kitchen area, right? People could have gotten hurt!" I somehow found myself reprimanding Zoe for her actions.

"Well, I was gonna put it out as soon as I was done! That fat uncle was the one who made things complicated, flailing around like that! Anyway, nobody got hurt in the end, so everything turned out fine!" She screamed back at me, obviously annoyed at my poking. By now our conversation had drawn the eyes of the other students frequenting the area, but Zoe didn't mind one bit, only quickening her steps. "What's it to you anyway?" She questioned, as if baffled by why I was so concerned, which only made me more upset.

"How can you be so callous? That idea was obviously insane!" By now I realized I'm also yelling back at her at the top of my voice.

"Don't call me insane! The path of a true genius isn't easy, okay?! You have to seize every chance you get! You can't possibly understand why I wanted to do what I did!" She hissed back without a hint of uncertainty. It was as if she felt completely justified at what she did, and was more angry and annoyed at me than anything else. A glance to the front showed me the doors of the entrance of the Doge's Palace. She would have slipped through and out of the place if I didn't clamped down on her left hand, holding her in place.

"So what, it was just you working your 'genius'? Insanity does not equal genius, Zoe! And where do you think you're going?" I lectured, sounding more and more like a parent for some reason. Was she making her way towards the exit all this time?

"Shut up! I've already been here before, seen all the exhibits they have on display! I don't need to waste the rest of the day doing those childish activities they planned for us!" Zoe shouted, tugging away trying to free herself as she did. The glare she had for me when turned around towards me wasn't something I expected from a nine year old. Her eyes were starting to turn red...

"Hm, so these challenges set for us are beneath you, huh Zoe?" Out of nowhere a mocking tone spoke out to us, the voice low but unmistakably a kid's.

"N-No, I...I mean, yeah! That's right, Ezio! They're trivial and nothing more than a waste of time for a genius like me!" When Zoe caught sight of the boy, who had his arms crossed standing a few feet away from us in the center of the main hall, the light in her eyes changed, though only for a split second. The next moment she had the sly grin on her face once more, strengthening her back and crossing her own arms in a haughty display.

From behind the kid, Sergio appeared, though as he approached, the tension in the air robbed him of any words. We decided to speak only when Zoe and the boy was done.

I take it they know each other? Maybe they're friends? At the very least, they seem to be acquaintances...

"Tch, whatever..." The boy named Ezio muttered calmly before turning away from us, shaking his head in disappointment. "...why don't you just leave without a commotion? You're making us Venice Elementary students look bad." He ended their little talk with those cold words, which only served to wipe the smile off of Zoe's face.

Tearing herself free from my grip, she vanished into the streets without a second thought. Although I was still upset at her myself, I couldn't help but feel sympathetic. There seems to be a story behind what just happened...

"Whoa, sorry about that, Amato. Ezio seemed so aloof and laid back when I met him an hour ago, this is the first time I saw him furrow his brow..." Sergio chipped in, snapping me out of my chain of thought as he stopped beside me, eyes searching for the kid he's paired with.

"It's all right, Sergio. I'm more worried about Zoe. I can't seem to get her to listen to me..." From my thoughts the words slipped out, before I'm met with Sergio with a look on his face that said he expected all of that.

"Well, no surprise there. Maybe you could try changing perspective? Maybe turn your thinking around?" Sergio casually tossed out some wise words, before homing in towards his paired kid, Ezio. "Uh...aren't you going after her, Amato?" He continued. I only responded with a blank look on my face. "You guys still need to finish up on the activity, yeah? The grade for today's final report makes up a percentage of your end-of-year grades, ya know?"

"I'm sorry...WHAT?!" I threw out jumping back startled in the process. Is he for real? What made the school decide that a single-day field trip report carries that much weight?! Who's the smart-guy who came up with that idea?!

"Hm, maybe now's a bad time to say this, but..." Sergio darted around with his words as he rolled his brown eyes to the side, looking really uncertain. "...the marks will come from her report, Amato. It's gonna come from her evaluation of you for the day.." He finishes with an awkward laugh and a cough. Glancing to my side, he must have said something, but I couldn't make out the words. After all, I'm already making a mad dash towards the doors!

...now I really wished I didn't sleep through that briefing we had the other day!

* * *

"Zoe! Zoe, w-where did you go?!" As sunlight hits the eyes, I ended up shading them with my hands as I stumbled into the open streets a few steps away from the Porta Del Frumento. Within seconds I was assaulted by the faint smell of water from the canals and the many eyes of the public now staring my way. A single guy running through the streets, screaming at the top of his voice is probably the most weirdest thing they've ever seen.

I would have been bothered to the point where I would start to hide, but the panic was starting to grow. Noon was coming, and if I don't find her anytime soon I'm afraid it'll be too late! I can't afford to have today's grade pulling me down in the finals!

"Zoe! Please, come back to the palace and finish the activities! I know this is selfish of me, but I really need a good report from you at the end of all this! Come back and I'll...I'll do whatever you want!" I cried out, my eyes desperately searching for any sign of her golden hair amongst the many faces popping up in the streets.

No dice. As more than a few beads of sweat were met with a cold breath of wind, the few seconds I waited for a response trailed into minutes. Frustrated at my predicament, I realized things would have been better if I didn't tried to lecture her the first time we spoke. As the despair was somewhat starting to sink in, my lumbering steps brought me to a bench by the museum, which I practically threw myself into.

"Who am I kidding? She probably boarded the first bus she saw the moment she stepped out of the Palace...I'm so gonna fail today..." I whined to myself, throwing my head back and eyes staring up the cloudless blue sky. I was pretty much resigned to an F for the day if Zoe's golden hair hadn't popped into sight.

"No, you're not." She declared as I blinked more twice, thinking I was hallucinating, before breaking into one of my biggest smiles ever. "...assuming you keep true to what you said." She continued, to which I replied with fervent nods. "...fine, let's go...and wipe that creepy smile of your face, jeez!" It took her only a second before her mood seemingly soured and she started barking commands as we headed back into the Palace. Still, I'm glad she stuck around instead of leaving outright.

* * *

Getting back into the grand halls, I took out the slip that came with Zoe's data sheet, and there it was, just like Sergio said. Today's activities and final report will make up a portion of our finals, and the primary activity we have to complete is...

"Sketching for likeness?" I mumbled out the words, before turning towards Zoe hoping for some sort of explanation. Instead, she shot me an annoyed look on her face, acting as if she's baffled by my reaction.

"It means we have to draw, duh! Are you sure you're a high schooler from Venice High? Isn't it a renowned for its genius graduates?" Zoe questioned, a skeptic look in the light of her eyes, before reaching out for a pencil from the side of the table.

"Well technically I'm still in middle school, but Venice has this direct admission program, you see? So all we have to do is enroll in Venice High for middle school and we're set for high school as well." I answered, trying my best to recall what happened when I started middle school. Kiera and a few men in suits were there, but I don't think they had anything to do with my enrollment besides being my acting guardians. "Still, drawing is definitely something I can get behind!" I cried out in excitement, yanking a pencil off the stationery holder and scribbling down hard on the blank piece of paper.

So we basically went about hunting down the three exhibits we were supposed to sketch from. I guess the school had the notion that even the most basic of artistes can draw, and with Venice High being a somewhat creativity-focused school it was perhaps the most obvious task to give.

The first was this weird, abstract painting that looked like a bunch of cubes overlapping each other, giving me a headache after staring at it for too long. Zoe wasn't kidding when she said she'd seen all of it before. The exhibits hasn't been changed in the last month, and she knew exactly where to go to find them.

"Wow, it almost feels as though you were the one who designed the place, and set up the exhibits..." I commented, breaking the silence that had been going on between us for a while now. Did I do something wrong that got her upset again? I hope not.

"That's not it. I have an eidetic memory; the things I experienced before plays back in my mind like a dream, except everything's ultra-clear..." She mumbled her reply without looking, before we stopped our steps by the second exhibit.

The second piece of work we're supposed to draw is an impressionistic painting; that's what's written on the slate in the corner. Everything looks as though it's little more than a fleeting dream, but I think it's supposed to be a lake with trees all around it.

"Wait, does that mean you never forget?" The words slipped out in surprise, as I drew in yet another curve for the tree and its leaves.

"No, it's just means it's a lot harder to..." She mumbled again, almost as if she wanted to avoid speaking about the subject. Just as the silence seemed to creep its way back between us, the familiar voices of a couple of guys from my class echoed in the hall as they got closer.

"Man, Sienna really knows how to bum me out of a field trip. She expects me to hand these out to everyone that's present today? Does she even realize just how big the Doge's Palace is?" One of them whined at the top of their voice, disregarding the rule that we should be keeping our voices down when viewing the exhibits.

"Don't worry, at least your kid didn't turn up, yeah? Imagine having to do this while babysitting some snot-nosed brat!" The other joked, slapping down on his friends back. It didn't seemed to assuage his friend of his predicament one bit.

"Tch, idiots..." To my surprise, Zoe responded to their remarks almost instantly.

"You really shouldn't say things like that, Zoe. Best if you just... keep it in mind." I advised, which didn't seemed to have much effect. If anything, Zoe only got more riled up by my words.

"What? What's wrong with speaking my mind? If you don't speak up, your voice will just drown in noise of the masses, and that's the last thing a genius wants! Besides, if no one spoke up, these idiots would just grow up to become unwanted stains of society!" Zoe burst out with her rebuttal, all of which do make sense, so much that I didn't know exactly how I should refute. "Look, even the kid who's partnered to one of them looked miserable, whose fault do you think that is?" She ended, showing sympathy for her fellow classmate.

In the end though, I was glad the guys didn't catch wind of what Zoe said. It was a surprise however, that their face brightened up when they caught sight of me and started making their way towards us.

"Hey, it's the brownie! You wouldn't mind doing a little errand for us, right? Since you like to help out so much..." One of my classmates asked out with a grin.

"Yeah, Zanna! Here's where you can put that spirit to good use!" The other added on, trying his best to follow up. It's embarrassing but I can't exactly remember his name nor his friend's, so I was watching my words to make sure I never have to use them. Obviously they're acting this way to get me to agree, which is a nice change from the usual names.

Still, they didn't have to do that.

"Sure, I'll help! I'll get on to it as soon as the day's activities are done." I gave them the word as I retrieved the huge stack of paper from the guys when all of a sudden Zoe's voice shot into my ears from the side!

"What?!" Instantly upset, Zoe pulled me to the side. "You're not serious, are you?! They're obviously looking down on you, calling you names and trying to take advantage of you!" She cried out her warning, having picked up the gist of the situation.

"Look, Zoe. It's all right. I don't mind helping. And there's no point getting back at them with the names and the attitude. If I acted that way I would have been dead a long time ago." Out of nowhere, the thought slipped out after a sudden memory of working with the Zanna Famiglia popped into mind. Zoe's disposition only soured further after that.

"Zanna, you will want to get these distributed as soon as possible." One of the guys suggested, a glint in his eyes.

"Oh. B-But we still need to finish up on the last sketch, we're kinda behind time as it is..." I argued on reflex. My eyes trailed towards Zoe only to have her look away as if denying me any support.

"Well, Adele made it clear that she wanted everyone to have it, even the kids from Venice Elementary, so you better hightail it as soon as possible!" The guys closed off the conversation with those instructions before disappearing into the corridors, laughing up a storm.

That made things a bit more complicated than I thought.

"No choice then, we'll just have to get this done first, then rush back to the last exhibit..." Quickly finishing the one I'm working on with a few more details here and there, I gave Zoe my conclusion before pulling myself up from the chair.

"You mean you'll have to get it done. You're such a tool! You let others step all over you without a single complaint! You're worthless in the eyes of others, in the eyes of yourself, and now in my eyes as well!" Zoe ranted, the arms crossed around her chest crushing down harder with every word, shivering at the very end. She may be a genius, but she's just as emotional as any other kid, it seems. I better find some reason to calm her down before she runs off again...

Too late! Before I could even react and do my best to assuage her, Zoe dodged into another corner of the corridor and disappeared!

"Not good..." I muttered with worry, eyes staring down the now empty corridor before trailing back to the stack of paper in my hands. Torn between two objectives, I hastily made my decision before the sound of my own footsteps rang through the hall of the Palazzo Ducale.

* * *

Running from room to room didn't get me anywhere, Zoe seemed to have vanished into thin air. First I started off with the ground floor of the palace, before branching out to the other, more specialized areas of the museum, but she was nowhere to be seen. Asking Sergio and the others got me only blanks looks and their heads shaking from side to side in reply. Before I knew it I had distributed the papers to every single student present for the field trip, with but one area left to search: the final exhibit we were required to sketch.

A dagger enclosed in a glass display case; it looked ancient and out of place amidst the paintings and sculptures littered within the Palace. But enough of that, Zoe doesn't seem to be around here either. Oh man, don't tell me she went out of the palace like before...

"Gah, what to do...what to do?" Unwittingly pacing around the exhibit, I couldn't help crying out to myself in a panic.

"Um...mister? Are you okay? You look kinda mad..." Out of nowhere, this brunette with short, neat hair and a pair of dark eyes appeared before me, asking me the question as she rocked to and fro on the heel of her feet. With an adorable yellow dress, she looked to be about ten years old or so. She must be one of the Venice Elementary students.

"Hm, seems like you're having a difficult day, Boyfriend~!" All of a sudden, Gina popped out of nowhere with a hug and a smile as she threw her arms around me, pressing her weight on my back. The surprising act was enough to make the brunette blush red all over.

"Y-Yeah, Gina. Zoe's disappeared, and we haven't finished our sketches yet!" I exclaimed, resigning myself to Gina's embrace, hugging her back.

"S-So you like-like this mister, Miss Regina?" Still flustered, the adorable little girl whose most probably Gina's partner asked out, fidgeting with her fingers as her eyes darted between us and the ground.

"Yes, Alessia, I like-like Amato. And how many times do I have to say it? Just calling me Regina will do! Or big sis! Ooh, I like the sound of that!" Gina answered with a big smile and a wink excitedly as she petted the girl named Alessia on her head. Her words made my heart skip a beat from pure joy itself.

"Um...Oh, there she is! Heeey, Zoooeeee!" Alessia cried out, prancing her way towards the girl strolling into the room with a juice box in hand. As Gina and I followed after her, I noticed a rather large group of students flooding into the room, with Adele amongst them.

"All right people, it's time to hand in those works you've been doing for the entirety of the day! Remember, they'll factor in to the grade you're getting for the day which in turn means they'll factor in to your end-of-year grade as well! The report carries the bulk of it, but these activities still matter, but I'm sure you all already know that!" Adele exclaimed with her usual conviction and charisma in the corner. It wasn't long before the students flew towards her with accomplished looks on their faces. Everyone must be done with their activities already!

"Gah! Zoe, are you done with your three sketches?!" Driven into slight panic, I quickly pulled out another piece of paper before starting my own drawing of the dagger!

"Sllluuuuurrrppp!" Unfazed by my words and the situation as a whole, Zoe only walked to my side as she sucked up the straw from the juice box, the loudest I had ever heard. "Yeah, I'm done. I only took a break and got me some juice in order to...cool down after what happened." She muttered under her breath, before pulling out her three sketches, each one of them perfectly drawn. So much so that they look like photos in black and white!

"Great!" The pleasant surprise of her in agreement aside, I quickly went with the flow of things and finished up on my own work. After a few more strokes to add on to the dagger's details I grabbed Zoe's hand and rushed towards Adele behind Gina and Alessia.

"H-Hey, what you doing...?!"

"Here we are, here's our sketches!" I cried out as soon as I got to Adele, being the last few pairs to hand in the work. The Class President only took but one look at my three drawings before pushing them back into my hands.

"Your name, Amato. You've forgotten to write them down!" She explained, looking slightly surprised while shaking her head from side to side.

"Oh right, my name...right!" I gave out as I got flustered, laying out the three pieces of work before me as I brought out my pen. A stray look to the side brought the girls into notice. Gina, Alessia and Zoe were staring at the three drawings I did with similar looks on their faces.

"Amato, that's a nice...face you've drawn. I can't quite tell who it's supposed to be, though..." Gina commented with extra care in choosing her words, though those few words were enough to drive me into shock!

"That's not a face, that's a dagger!" I exclaimed, pulling the drawing close and studying it again. No matter how I look at it, it looks just the dagger showcased in the exhibit! When my eyes turned back to Gina, she only laughed it off, patting me on the back.

"T-These are some pretty buildings, though..." Alessia added with a smile, trying to cheer me up. Sadly, they did the exact opposite.

"Those are supposed to be trees!" Again, I argued, driving the poor kid cowering behind Zoe's shoulders. As if she was tired of being upset, Zoe only took a second to glance through all three of my sketches before snatching them off my hands.

"I should have paid attention to what your were drawing. These are all horrible!" She yelled, before doing something unthinkable.

She tore them up into tiny, little bits and slips of paper!

"N-No! Why?! Zoe, why did you do that?!" In a fit of anger or maybe reflex I lose my composure and screamed at the girl at the top of my voice.

"Y-You really didn't need to do that, Zoe..." Alessia muttered, but nevertheless she sounded as though it was something expected of Zoe. Gina only looked on towards us and the situation with confusion and disbelief.

When my tired gaze lingered up to Zoe, she was already busy with something else. Drawing out a pen, she did a few strong strokes on the pieces of empty paper before shoving them into my hands.

They're awesome! They look just like the exhibits, the quality just as crisp as the ones she did before! Of course, it was all just shading done with a pen!

...now I'm just sad. What can I say, those were some of the better drawings I've made!

"There! These will do a lot more than your old cave drawings ever did." She declared with a relieved look in her eyes, before pointing me towards Prez. Did Zoe did all that just so I could have better works to hand up? Was she thinking about my grade when she tore up those drawings?

"Zoe! That wasn't very nice!" Alessia cried out her disapproval as she clung on to Zoe's arm, giving me the impression that the two of them are rather close.

"Hey, I was doing him a favor!" Zoe replied haughtily without reason.

Yeah, it didn't really seem like she was doing it for my sake. The golden-haired girl who's emotional, headstrong, confident, judgmental and most of all, brave. From the looks of these drawing she did in but a few seconds, maybe she really is a genius. In the end though, I could do little but look to the ground in defeat as Gina accompanied me to submit the six pieces of work we, I mean, Zoe completed.

* * *

**Finally, this chapter is completed! Man, this ended up way longer than I ever expected. I had a friend gloss over the chapter and he said Zoe's vocabulary was too diverse for an elementary school kid. What do you guys think? Keep in mind she's a genius, so I figured her dialogue had to reflect that. As usual, give me your thoughts in your reviews below, and keep an eye out for the next chapter update to find out what's gonna happen next!**


	81. The Choices That Binds Us

**Author's Note:**

**This is it. It's time to bring some action into this arc. It's time to spice things up.**

* * *

**Chapter 80: The Choices That Binds Us.**

With the day's activities done we moved on to a more relaxing pace as we started lunch together in the courtyard of the Palazzo Ducale. The grand ceremonial staircase, made out of what looked like exquisite, alternating bands of white and red limestone, stretched from the courtyard into the Palace itself. From where we sat, the two collossus statues, that of _Mars_ and _Neptune,_ watched over us as we ate.

Everyone was chatting up a storm, getting to know their partner better. Everyone except me and Zoe, it seems. I still can't believe she ripped up my works like that. Well, at least they didn't find out anything about her replacing my submission with her own sketches. Taking another bite into a chunk of chicken from the boxed lunch they had for us, I couldn't help but turn towards the girl that was my partner as the Prez started briefing us on what was gonna happen next.

"...bus would be arriving in an hours time...the time you have left to get to know each other better..."

Adele's words fade in and out of audibility as I observed the girl named Zoe, who was surprisingly smiling with glee as she played with Alessia. The frown she always had the entire morning was gone, and I even caught sight of her nodding and apologizing amidst her actions, despite the overwhelming pride she had before.

Is this the really the same girl with the objective views and genius intellect from before? She'd definitely make more friends if she smiled like that more...

* * *

"Ugh..."

The awkward silence between us was suffocating by now. We had passed from room to room without as much as a single word. Zoe really meant it when she said she only spoke to me because it was necessary. What started with me walking by her side ended up with me trailing behind the sight of her golden ponytail.

When she finally stopped by the balcony, the look on her face was one chock full of boredom. Grinding down on her teeth and constantly tapping the floor with her feet, she looked as though she was being tortured, twitching and wincing as her eyes desperately looked out into the streets.

Wow, she's really hating the fact that she has to spend the day here. I guess she was telling the truth when she said she'd seen all of which the museum has to offer.

"So..." I gave out the word as I parked myself beside her, making sure I wasn't too close or she might scream again.

Though after that, my mind went blank almost immediately. Zoe's starting to become kinda difficult for me to approach.

"Sigh...wish I had some candy with me right now." Zoe muttered, ignoring my attempt at trying to strike up a conversation with her.

"Come on, Zoe. This is probably the last time we'll be talking to each other." I reasoned, trying to get her to look my way and straight into my eyes. To my surprise, she did.

"Nope. You promised to do whatever I say." She reminded me, emphasizing on the word 'whatever'. "You live in the Zanna Mansion, right? I'll just head there whenever I need help with something. I never said how long you'll be helping...so..." She trailed off with a triumphant grin on her face as she turned away, apparently finishing the sentence with just that. She doesn't seem to be kidding. Before I could have said something to reply however, something pungent whisked against my nose, throwing me back flinching.

A faint, fleeting odor that was partly sour within a mix of grainy, earthy smell. If I had to describe it, it's a bit like chalk dust and burnt paper.

"What is that...?" Finding myself distracted by the smell, I wondered if Zoe noticed it as well. She wasn't giving off any form of reaction at all though if she did. Homing in on the scent brought me wandering close to this supply closet a few feet away from where we were. Without much thought my fingers wrapped themselves around the metal doorknob. Instinctively expecting something, I cautiously opened the door after a deep breath and a swallow of saliva.

Huh, nothing but a bunch of cleaning utensils. Some brooms, dustpans, mops and a bunch of shelves.

"What...are you doing?" Finally catching sight of me, Zoe plopped herself off the balcony and tossed out the question as she looked to me bewildered.

"I don't get it...I thought..." Mumbling out in confusion, I was just about to forget it when the smell came back again, even amidst the musty scent of the now opened supply closet. Making my way into that small square-shaped compartment, I finally realized where it came from. There, hidden in plain sight, a pot of some sort sat in the corner.

It's coming from inside this...cooking pot? What is... a cooking pot doing in a supply closet anyway...?

"I really don't think touching that is a good idea...even if it's just a pressure cooker." Zoe warned me as I tried to reach out for the thing, albeit growing slightly curious when her gaze fell on the object. I stopped, but nevertheless I couldn't shake off the feeling of how out of place the thing was.

"It's definitely suspicious." In the end all I could do was comment, even when my eyes caught sight of the bolts at certain corners of the lid. It's as if the whole things had been sealed tight. Remembering something Kiera mentioned this morning, my hands dug into my satchel before pulling out the stuff she gave me this morning. She instructed me to use it if I ever felt the need to tell or ask her anything, or to just contact her of something.

"I never had one of these before..." I muttered out as I held out the thing in my hand, admiring the sleek piece of technology. It doesn't have any buttons, and the screen seemed too big. but apparently they're all designed this way nowadays.

"A smartphone? You're kidding me, right?" Zoe asked out with a baffled look as she saw the thing, before pulling out her own.

In any case, after a bit of fumbling I managed to dial in Kiera's number. The ever present dribbling of tone played, and it wasn't long before Kiera's voice answered.

"Lord Amato? Of what do I owe the pleasure of you calling?" As polite as ever, Kiera answered in a pleasant tone from over the other end of the line. I started telling her of what I found, starting with the unusual smell I picked up. Only at the end did I realize how strange I sounded, asking about how if finding a pressure cooker in a supply closet here in the Doge's Palace was dangerous or not. "Hm, you'll have to be a little bit more specific. Can you describe the object?" Kiera requested, sounding more and more intrigued.

"Well, it's a large cylindrical object made of metal, about half a meter in length, height and width. Seems tightly shut, with its lid sealed down with tiny bolts on the top and the sides." I replied as my eyes fell on the thing, trying to look out for anything significant. A marking or a logo or something.

Nothing.

"Cylindrical? -Dante! Dante, you're quite learned in technology and the likes. What do you think?" Still somewhat uncertain, Kiera's immediately perked up as she shouted out Dante's name. The guy must have walked into the room or something. After a few moments of muffled dialogue that kept me waiting in suspense, Dante's voice spoke through the phone.

"Boss, you might not like what you're about to hear." Dante stated calmly, a serious note in the tone of his voice. It got me all tensed up as I gulped down a huge drop of saliva. After a few moments of silence, Dante took it as consent as started speaking again. "I'm not entirely certain, but you could be looking at an improvised explosive device."

"Improvised explosive device?" I repeated the term, not really sure what it meant.

"I'm talking about a bomb!" Dante rephrased himself with a new sense of urgency to his words.

"A bomb?!" Shocked by hearing the one word, I couldn't help screaming it out as my eyes threw themselves open.

"What? N-No way...!" Having overheard me Zoe ended up looking really disturbed as she started focusing her attention around the pressure cooker.

Almost immediately my mind jumped into conclusions, and the sight of the rest of my class caught in the blast or hurt in the aftermath of the bombing started playing! Some part of me even started deciding it was nothing more than an exaggeration. Worst of all, a part of me even believed it.

"...who were you talking to? How exactly is this thing a bomb?" Before I could sort out my thoughts, Zoe started bombarding me with her questions, still somewhat skeptical of the idea. Still, her eyes were trying their best to look away from the pressure cooker, maybe out of avoidance or even fear. It made it seemed like she was in denial. Backed by her suspicions, my thoughts converged, convincing me that it might really just be Dante's guess amidst the escalating rhythm thumping in my ears and the cold sweat.

_Badump._

I mean, Dante didn't lay eyes on this. He might be wrong, right? It could just an item belonging to one of the staff here, nothing more!

"His name's Dante, he's on the other end of the line. He's a friend of mine, and he's good with all the tech stuff." Finally answering Zoe's questioning looks, I tried to focus and answer as calmly as I could before getting back to the phone. Of course, I left out the fact that Dante's actually one of the Zanna Famiglia's weapon and munitions advisorss. "Dante, are you sure it's a bomb? What if it's nothing more than a plain old pressure cooker?"

"A plain old pressure cooker in the faculty room of a museum? I don't think the Doge's Palace is any place for a cook-off, do you?" Dante gave out his points with a rather convincing analogy, sounding somewhat annoyed. "The scent your keen sense of smell picked up was from a low explosive, most likely gunpowder. This isn't a joke, Boss. Doing anything but leaving the Palace is ill-advised. If there is a slim chance my deductions are wrong, then there's nothing to worry about; nobody will get hurt. But, are you willing to take that chance?" He asked with a stern tone, offering me a choice that seemed little more than an ultimatum.

_Badump._

As I looked upon the elementary school girl by my side, her brown eyes turned to me in her panic, the thought of everyone else in the Doge's Palace came into mind.

"No...I can't." That was my answer, muttering not just to Dante but to my own ears as well. It calmed me down enough to make me realize the next course of action I should take. "Zoe, Dante's sure of it. The smell I picked up was gunpowder. It's inside the cooker. Which means this thing is being used as a bomb. I need you to get out there, get everyone away from this area of the museum and start evacuation!" I barked out the commands which seemed to come from nowhere, popping into mind right at that very moment. The bomb was all I could think of, how much danger we were in, how to get everyone away from the blast.

"B-But-!" Zoe retorted, taken aback by my sudden assertiveness and stunted by the shock of realizing the truth.

"Now, Zoe!" I yelled back at her without looking, eyes already on the pressure cooker.

I hope she doesn't hate me for this.

Within the seconds, Zoe's footsteps littered down the second floor corridor. Turning back for one final check, I started slowly making my way towards the bomb, until it was right before my feet. Pulling the phone back to my ear, I calmed my nerves and cleared my throat before following through this crazy idea I had.

_Badump._

"Dante, give me the instructions. Tell me what I should do to disarm the bom-!"

Before I could finish, my instincts went off! Hair stood up on the back of my neck as my eyes widened! Somebody's behind me!

"Crack."

But I turned a second too late as something hard pierced into the back of my neck! The next thing I knew the world before my eyes was spinning. My hearing faded in and out as a pair of voices started speaking, the words muffled out. It took me a while, but I finally realized I was already headed for the ground! With a thud, everything went black.

* * *

"Sir, what are we gonna do with him?"

In the darkness, the voice woke me up, pulling me out of a daze. Immediately, the sore, swollen lump on the back of my neck jabbed at me. It stung every time I tried to move my head. My arms and legs were tied up, the thick rope cutting into my flesh with every tiny movement. Getting a hold of the situation at hand, I tried to open my eyes slightly and maintain the act that I was still knocked out. I can't have them doing anything drastic like putting me out of my misery in a hostage situation like this, not until I free myself.

"Nosy kid ruined everything. How did he find the bomb anyway?" Another one of them asked out, looking really frustrated. Behind them, in the chair, with his glasses shining in the dark, another stood up in response.

"Hm, that's the question, isn't it? It should have been hidden well enough." He answered, before stepping out of the shadows and into the light, revealing long black hair tied in a ponytail in a checkered shirt as opposed to the rest. The others looked like professional thieves, dressed in dark outfits and armed to the teeth.

A second was all I had to survey the surroundings before they closed in around me. From what I gathered, we were in boxed room with a console of sorts in the corner and a whole lot of monitors atop said console.

Is this the security office or something? It doesn't look like the same place I was in this morning...

"Enough." A third person from the gang of armed thugs declared calmly, scaring the others in line. "The unwarranted bombing in the morning caused enough heat from the police already! We can't have let this kid run free, alerting the police of our plans." He continued, maintaining a unfazed look in his eyes, hidden amidst his bushy brows and a grizzled face. Scars ran down along the side of his face, though they showed no incompetency, only the experience of his many jobs before.

"Kill'im, and go finish off that girl who was with him in the room." The boss of the thugs demanded. There was no signs of mercy anywhere in his tone of voice.

"Wait, you said no one's gonna get hurt if I let you do this! You can't go back on your word!" Out of nowhere, the grand curator appeared in the same purple suit from before, objecting to the guy's decision as he pushed himself in front of me. Unfortunately, that didn't do much to help, as the thugs just shoved him aside!

No way, the curator's in it with these guys? Is that why he stopped the police from closing down the Palace in the first place?

"Shut up! It doesn't matter, you're still gonna get paid so don't worry!" One of the thugs gave out before pulling out a pistol and aiming it right at me!

Luckily, Luigi's little objection did buy me enough time to get myself up on my feet!

"Snap!" With a swing, I brought my tied hands on the pistol barrel, knocking it away from me. At that very moment, adrenaline all but pushed by body into reckless abandon, leaving it to nothing but instinct and reflex! Hopping close to the guy stunned by my action, I grit down on my teeth as I raised my head, before slamming it down on the thug with a roaring headbutt!

"Crack!"

"Fugh!" The man roared in pain, flooding my ears even as the thumping from the impact shook my head.

"Restrain him!" By now, the others had jumped into action. The really were professionals, as they surrounded me without as much as a reaction to the first fellow who dropped to his knees, moving completely in tune. One of the huge, burly guys had his arms clamped down on my shoulders, and the next thing I knew I was thrown against the wall!

"Thud!"

_Crack._

"Gugh!" Shaking away the daze, a kick into my solar plexus sent my face to the floor crying out in pain! When my sight returned, another guy came charging at me with a combat knife looking to pierce into my neck! The blade gave me an idea! Betting on the chance, my legs were raised as soon as he got close, bringing my tied ankles to edge of his knife!

"Shikt!'

"Bang!" Just in time, my legs stretched themselves enough for me to kick the ground, scraping away from the gunshot by mere inches! As the ringing in my ear died off and the bullet reduced to nothing more than a mark smoking on the ground, I crawled back up to my feet, taking on a stance.

Rolling my ankles never felt so good.

"What's with this kid?!" A blond thug cried out in annoyance and disbelief, as the group of five surrounded me once more. Before I could follow the signals they gave off to each other, they resumed their assault! One of them drew out another gun, drawing my attention and earning him a bone-crunching kick to the sides! Another came at me with a baton in hand, looking to bludgeon my head in! Pulling back and getting into balance, a kick to the ground with the ball of my feet sent my knee right into the guy's neck!

_Skletch._

"Argh!" What the heck?! Immediately after I kicked, a wave of fire chewed into my flesh from my shoulder! Ramming myself free from my assailant, I turned only to see my overshirt torn and the area darkening rapidly. It seems I weren't able to to defend against the rest of the attacks as well as I thought. In an attempt to shake off the pain, the boss of the thugs came into sights. Throwing me a slug, the sheer weight of his punch had me crashing down once more, only this time it felt a lot more permanent.

_Crack. Thud. Snap._

As the pelting of blows rained down me from all sides, I realized I was more injured than I thought. In addition to the knife wound on my shoulder, my stomach was cut and bleeding, and my left leg grew heavy. My hamstring might have been messed up. I guess I got pretty lucky not getting shot. After a kick to the face I did my best to ignore the pain and cling on to consciousness with the weight of every blow!

"Hey, hey! Enough, Bulldog! There's no need for this violence!" To my surprise, the guy with the glasses jumped in between me and the thugs, raising his arms as he got them to stop. "You know what? How about you let me handle this kid? You guys can just be on your way to the designated locations." He reasoned as he shooed them away with his hand, even when faced with the glare from the head honcho named Bulldog.

"Are you sure?" He replied, staring back with skeptic eyes which were met with an out-of-place smile and a nod. After a few seconds of what seemed like contemplation, Bulldog called off his men with a wave of his arm. "Stick to the plan, Flint. Keep your paws off the trigger!" He commanded, before turning back to the thugs. Still armed with guns and the like, they vanished out the door in formation, leaving me with the guy named Flint and Luigi. When my eyes found themselves glaring at the grand curator, he stumbled his way out as well, with a downtrodden look on his face.

"Hah...hah..hah..." Despite the heavy breathing, I had my eyes pinned on the guy, ready to pull myself off the ground as soon as he tried something. Instead he only shook his head before pulling out a bunch of medical supplies from a cabinet nearby. All the while he had this sympathetic look on his face, and a smile that garnered no threat at all.

"All this blood, what a mess..." Flint commented as he reached out to my wounds, cleaning them and bandaging them up in a spiffy. His baffling actions only left me at a loss of words, as well as not knowing how exactly I should react.

Didn't he just said that he would take care of me? I assumed that meant he'd finish me off, so what the heck is he doing dressing my injuries?

"Y-You're not one of them, aren't you? Are you a hostage?" The conclusion of my thoughts brought out those unbelievable words as Flint removed the rope around my wrists. He didn't exactly deny what I said, however.

"You could say that, I guess my clothes were a dead giveaway on that aspect, huh?" Flint replied, pulling me up to my feet after he was done. It felt as though he was in no way threatening my life. His mannerisms, his presence, his body language, they didn't set off my senses at the slightest. A pair of soft eyes behind the glasses, he fiddled with the pistol he brought out of his pockets before placing it down on the tabletop. "I just don't believe in torture. They pulled me off the streets for a job. Now I'm not even sure if I wanna do it." He confessed, looking genuinely uncertain.

"What's the job?" The confusion of what was happening got to me good, but nevertheless I did my best to play along. Perhaps the conversation can get me some inkling as to what this group are planning to do to the museum, with bombs and all.

"To bomb the place. It's supposed to happen after closing hours. It'll burn the place down after they finished stealing everything. Would've made the prices of those works skyrocket." Flint casually tossed out what seemed like the entire plan the thugs had. "But seeing you struggle gave me a new idea." He declared excitedly, before pulling out and tinkering on something that looked a lot like a belt lined with tubes from one end to the other.

This guy's the one responsible for the bombs?! I never would've guessed!

In my shock, he had the thing tied around my torso after removing my black overshirt, before replacing it back on. It wasn't heavy, but I can't help but feel wary about why he's doing this. Just as I was about to ask, the guy got close and whispered into my ears...

"Now you've got a bomb around tied around your body, what are you gonna do?"

_Badump._

"Wh-What?" In an instant I lose myself to shock, and my arms reached towards the thing in an effort to rip it off. However, he gestured disapprovingly by wagging his finger as soon as my hands touched the thing he called a bomb, pulling out a tiny, black object of sorts. It had a button, and the man, with the same, unchanging smile from before, were hesitant to press it.

In an instant I knew what message he was trying to convey.

"That's right, don't even think about it. That's high explosives. One touch of this button, or if you try tearing it off all willy-nilly, you're gonna find yourself blown into a thousand pieces! Blood, organs and all!" Flint exclaimed excitedly, almost as if he doesn't realize how twisted his actions are. "Tell you what, thirty minutes." He announced, going back to his seat, his eyes glazing upon the monitors that seemed to show every corner of the Doge's Palace.

"Th-Thirty minutes? What's that supposed to mean?" Stammering at my words, the feeling of cold metal pressing against my shirt was horrible. The fact that I now know it was a bomb made it that much more uncomfortable.

_Badump._

"The time now is three-forty-five. You have thirty minutes to disarm that bomb in the supply closet. After that, I'm setting it off! It's placed in such a position that it'll shatter the foundation of the very building, probably crushing everyone inside the palace." Flint continued, again casually tossing out the threat without the slightest intent in his voice, his tone or anything! "Oh boy is this exciting! Can't wait to see what you're gonna end up doing first, disarming the big one or removing the bomb I tied around your body." Flint wondered excitedly, tossing into my hands the satchel I had before, and with it, Fenris.

I hadn't even noticed they took it!

"Why are you doing this?" I couldn't comprehend his logic no matter how much I tried, so I ended up asking him outright. The answer I got back from Flint gnawed at my mind the very moment I heard it.

"Why not? The very moment a person realizes he's in danger, in the presence of a bomb, he'll show the truest expression of freedom. He'll struggle, guided only by instinct, none of that logic and reasoning our society imposed upon us to get in the way. Apart from that, the blast of a bomb is akin to the big bang. It happens for but an instant, but nothing ever remains the same. I always wanna know who's gonna end up surviving, and who will have their lives robbed in that instant." He slipped into a monologue as his eyes grew brighter.

If I didn't know better, I'd say he looked more determined than before.

"Besides, I'm done waiting until closing time to blow something up. Just blowing things up when everyone's gone? Boring. It'll more exciting watching someone struggle against the odds. Good luck!" He finishes with a wave of his hand before turning away, as if he was already bored of me, having said all he needed. By then my legs had already brought me to the other end of the room, my back was pressed against the wall by my body out of sheer horror.

I definitely would have been better off not knowing.

In the face of the choice before me, my arms threw the door open as my staggering legs broke into a dash out the room! Even as my haggled breaths littered the corridor, I could still hear the mad man's singing faint in the distance.

"...I just want to set the world on fire...I just want to start...the fire in our hearts..."

* * *

I couldn't remember how long it's been since I stumbled out of the room, running down the second floor trying to get back to the room where that bomb was. Looking down underneath my overshirt, the sleek bomb still tied around me was grazing against my skin. Every few seconds the cold metal surface filled my sense of touch, and my instincts would scream and panic for me to get away. Before long my hands grew twitchy as I resisted the urge to go into my awakening and just tear the darn thing off of me!

_Badump._

But I can't. My eyes scanned my surroundings, the many corners of the corridors. There were no cameras in sight, but they might just be hidden. He might still be watching.

To try to free myself from this thing, or to prevent a horrible catastrophe that might take the lives of everyone here in the Doge's palace today. The responsibility of choice feels like a burden fit for the title of 'Boss'. Even without planning for it, I ended up the one saddled with the choice anyway.

"Darn it..." As my emotions and my thoughts overwhelmed me, I ended up pushing my steps faster, breaking into a sprint. Kiera said the role of the Famiglia is more than just a struggle for resources and control over the black market, the vices and the such. The represent hope for those shunned by society as dictated by the norms, such as those in poverty or those beyond the law's reach.

Does that mean I should put the safety of others above my own right now? It seemed easy enough a choice before, but It's different when you have a bomb tied around your chest...

In a blink of an eye, my feet brought me to the same door of the supply closet from before.

In any case, I need some way contact the Famiglia again, as well as a way to monitor how much time I have left. All of this means I'll need to find the phone I lost when I was knocked out. It wasn't in the satchel Flint returned to me.

Clinging on to that one thought alone, my fingers hastily turned on the knob and threw open the door into the closet.

"...shoot."

_Badump._

After that one word I sorta ended up staring at the mess that was my phone for a few seconds, listening to the loud beating of my heart. The sleek casing has been smashed apart, with tiny pieces scattered all around. The screen was cracked with a large section of it tossed to the side, which probably meant I'll not be able to use it for anything anymore. The guy that knocked me out must have wrecked it afterward. Stomped on it, probably.

Wait, what am I doing standing here thinking about all this? The bomb's on its way to blowing up this section of the museum!

When realization came to me, I could only grit down on my teeth in annoyance as my mind raced for an alternative, before my legs broke out into a dash at the speed of the wind!

I have to find Sergio and the others!

Scrambling down the stairs, I found my way back into the main reception area, hoping to see the place cleared out except for perhaps Sergio and the others. Instead people were clamoring here and there in utter confusion, separated into small groups made up of those here on a field trip and a number of the public visiting the museum for the day. Amidst the chatter that went from a joke about a bomb here in the museum to the whining about an annoying blond girl, my eyes caught sight of Zoe and the others running around here and there.

"Please, you have to listen to me! We have to get out of the palace! Please!" Zoe cried out relentlessly, only to have her words fell on deaf ears. As I made my way towards them, I noticed that even Mister Russo wasn't taking the news as seriously as I had hoped. Also, Zoe met up with my friends along the way.

"She's being serious here, people! There's a bomb planted in one of the upper rooms that's primed to go off!" Sergio added, as Johann, Yoko, Gina and even their partners followed suite, spreading out to the many groups and reiterating the urgency of the situation. As the crowd remained unamused, they were nonetheless catching on with what was happening. At least, in their own perspective. As eyes fell on all of them, they looked as though they were tired of this little 'prank'.

"Enough, little girl!" Mister Russo reprimanded, having reached Zoe and the others before I did. "And Sergio! I can't believe you of all people are in it on this little joke, calling not just the students here but the public patrons of the museum as well!" Mister Russo flared on, his face growing redder by the second. Never have I seen him so angry.

I supposed from an onlooker's eyes, Sergio and the others seemed little more than just a bunch of kids making a ruckus.

As Mister Russo turned away from the Sergio's group in disappointment and the crowd dispersed back into the many corners of the museum, I finally caught up to them.

"Amato!" Sergio exclaimed as a wild look brought me into his sights, calming him down from the fruitlessness of what he was doing. Before long, everyone huddled close as they gathered around me. Some of them looked extremely worried, some of them close to tears and a number of them, particularly those of Zoe's age, were looking really confused.

"As you have probably seen, we couldn't get anyone to listen." Zoe muttered with her eyes having fallen to the floor.

"I'm so glad! The fact that you're here means the bomb problem is gone, right Amato?" Gina cried out in relief, wiping away the tears that were about to fall from her reddened eyes. Don't tell me she's been like this ever since she spoke to Zoe about all that's happening.

I wanted to reply immediately, but as soon as I tried to reach out to them, a certain thought robbed me of my words. Not to mention with the thought that strangling feeling of weakness returned.

_Badump. Badump. Badump._

The damned metal thing is still hanging tight around my chest! That means anyone close shares the risk of being blown to bits! Gina, my friends, Zoe and her classmates as well!

Sweat began pouring out again. At that very moment I started to regret finding my friends for help, to the point where I started backing away in steps. I could have asked for a phone from anyone. I knew Kiera's number, I could have-!

"Amato!" Suddenly, Gina called out my name in a loud tone of voice, snapping me away from my thoughts and back into the situation at hand. With worried eyes she got close only to catch sight of the rips in my clothes and the bandages all over my body. "You got hurt?!" She cried out in concern. With the clock still ticking down I made a silent apology to Gina before ignoring her and turning towards my best friend.

"Sergio! I need your phone, now!" I ordered, overtaken by the urgency of it all. Before he was even done fishing it out of his pocket, I snatched it off of his hand!

"Hey! What was that for?! I was gonna pass it to you, you know!" He cried out in annoyance, looking really baffled at my overall behavior.

"No time! The bomb's gonna go off in...ten minutes or so!" I replied hastily, switching between the clock on the phone and the grandfather clock ticking in the main hall. "Stay here, I'm gonna go and disarm the darn thing!" I threw out the words sternly as I started running. After all, they didn't need to follow, I don't want to put them at risk. They should just get out of here and get as far away from the museum as they possibly could!

_Clack._

Unfortunately, my hopes were dashed the moment someone grabbed hold of my wrist, stopping me in my steps. I was so pumped with adrenaline that I nearly kicked whoever it was out of reflex. Shooting back a glance, Johann surprised me with a serious look on his face. His usual laid back smile was nowhere to be seen.

"Why do you always try to do things alone, Amato? We're coming with you, whether you like it or not." He declared, his eyebrows furrowing for the first time since he lost his memory. At his words, Gina and the others only nodded in agreement.

"Tsk, fine!" With much reluctance I gave my reply, breaking free from his grasp before heading towards the bomb once more. I didn't have the luxury of time to argue.

From behind me, Johann loosened his stance and started smiling again as he turned back towards Sergio and the others with relief. Together they started chasing after me and my steps. Deep down I was happy when I caught a glimpse of that, but I couldn't bring myself to show it.

I still wished they'd vacate the museum. It's dangerous to be near me right now.

* * *

"Hm, based on those specifications, the explosion radius will likely decimate that supply closet. The outlying supporting pillars of the Doge's palace might get ruined by the tremor in the process. The entire second floor will literally come caving down! Here's what you have to do." Dante began his instructions after a rather long assessment of the situation over the phone.

After yelling at Kiera through the phone at my own risk, Kiera surprised me when she understood the sped-up gibberish that was my explanation of the bomb threat and the presence of the dangerous individual lurking within the Doge's Palace. Once I was done, she immediately followed-up by relaying it to the rest of the Famiglia before passing the phone over to Dante. His voice through the phone's speaker had everyone of us cramped within that tiny closet all tensed while listening. Sergio, Johann and I were the closest in proximity to the bomb itself, while Gina and Yoko stood by the door together with the kids we were supposed to look after.

"The first thing you have to look out for is an out-of-place attachment to the bomb. It'll be where the bomber implemented the trigger mechanism." Dante calmly gave out word for word, giving enough time between them for us to fully pick up on what he said.

_Badump._

Unfortunately there wasn't any compartment of any kind anywhere around the bomb sitting before my eyes!

"I don't see anything like that, Dante!" I screamed out in a panic after kneeling down as clawing away at the top of the metal thing.

"Could it be that the trigger device is concealed within?" Sergio asked out loudly, trying his best to maintain his composure despite everyone else getting worked up from the tension.

"Possible. If that is indeed the case, you have no choice but to try and pry open the sealed container." Dante continued with his instructions, taking care with every word. "Be extra cautious, the large concentration of gunpowder can still cause severe burns if they were to ignite in close proximity. Once it's open you'll be looking to remove the blasting cap as well as the firing circuit. Without those, the bomb won't have anything attached to set it off." Dante described, bombarding us with terms that sounded a lot like a bunch of jargon he made up.

"Five minutes left!" Johann warned as he looked to his wristwatch, being the one we assigned to keep track of the time.

"What?! Shouldn't we be trying to avoid opening up the bomb and keeping its explosive contents in?!" Zoe cried out her rhetorical question as soon as Dante finished.

"On the contrary, gunpowder is considered low explosives. With no pressure it won't be able to build up energy and can do little but burn itself out. It's actually safer for everyone if the lid was open." Dante rebutted the question with a reasonable explanation. Zoe seemed to immediately understand, calming down and looking away embarrassed. "Just don't do it if it's already building up." He finished with a warning.

_Badump._

"Wait, wait, wait, just hold on a minute! Can we get back to disarming this stupid thing?! What the heck should I be doing right now?!" Annoyed by how we're only wasting what time we had left, I couldn't help yelling out as I brought my fists down on the pressure cooker on reflex!

"Clang!"

"Ow!" That was my reaction as a small cut split opened on the edge of my hand, blood trickling out. When I realized how stupid it was to do that however, I couldn't help looking up to the eyes of my friends and company expecting heavy stares. However, everyone had their eyes on one thing and one thing only. The pressure cooker.

The top of the pressure cooker to be exact.

"N-No way..." I could only mutter at the sight, contemplating whether it was fate or dumb luck that got that to show itself.

"What is it?" Dante's grainy voice wondered through the speakers in a curious tone.

"The top convex protrusion of the pressure cooker is...dented!" Sergio exclaimed in an attempt to reply, being the first one to break out of the surprise. "It wasn't part of the pressure cooker by design, it was welded on!" He continued, overtaken by what seemed like adrenaline mixed with joy.

"Seriously?!"

"That's it then!"

"The trigger thingamajig must be inside!"

The exclamations was probably shared by everyone in the room, including myself. Zoe and her classmates in particular, were exchanging looks that went from confusion to slight smiles of relief. The lot of them were the ones who were most surprised.

"Two minutes!" Johann suddenly roared out, restarting the panic! "Rip it out, rip it out, rip it out!" He screamed the phrase over and over, probably overreacting way more than any of us were. He was jumping from where he stood, fingers pointing down at the dented piece of metal and his voice screaming into my ears.

_Badump._

Pushed by his words and the fact that every second second I spent meant greater danger for my friends, my hands reached the edge of the now protruding piece of metal amidst the thumping sound of my heart and bullets of cold sweat. "Eyargh!" With a scream, I tore open the tiny compartment grabbing the trigger mechanism as soon as it appeared. "Now it's over!" I declared, as I ripped off the phone from the bomb, tearing away at the cluster of wires just as a message popped into the screen.

It showed, in blood red letters, the word 'Game Over'. I could almost imagine it being repeated in Flint's voice.

_Badump. Badump. Badump._

"Hah..hah..hah..." Standing up from the now-disarmed bomb, the rush of heat and the ringing in my ears started to fade away. The phone that was the trigger had gone dead in my grasp. I looked to Johann for a confirmation as soon as I could. The guy stood beside me, staring at the face of his watch with widened eyes.

"Time's up." He declared, looking really uncertain of what's what.

"And nothing's burning." I added with a sniff, feeling just as surprised, before a silly smile stretched across my face. As the voices of everyone came back stronger than ever, their frowns disappeared as they saw my reaction. Before we knew it, joy and relief washed over us like a tidal wave, breaking away at the silence!

"He did it!" Gina and Yoko cried out as they threw themselves into each others' arms, hopping around where they stood.

"Hooray!"

"I can't believe it's over!"

The kids started cheering as well, looking as though they were gonna break out into tears. Even Zoe couldn't help but give out a long sigh of relief as she exchanged hugs with Alessia, not to mention almost doing the same for Ezio. The two looked away almost immediately when they realized what was about to happen.

"Can't say I'm looking forward to these sort of things with the Famiglia, Amato. If another Op happens that's gonna involve bombs it'll be too soon!" Sergio gave out between breaths as he turned towards Johann, who had fallen down on the floor on his rump in relief.

"Boss? From the sound of the cheering can I assume the bomb has been successfully disarmed?" Dante's voice once again spoke out from the speakers, asking for a status report. He was still as calm as ever, but anyone else in that room could have told you how there was this slight nuance of relief in his voice.

"Yeah, the bomb's disarmed!" I replied, shouting through the storm everyone was chatting up.

"All right. Stay put, Boss. Kiera said we're heading there right now, and she's ordering a contingent of our finest over as well." Dante exclaimed, but I was too winded to hear any of it, passing the phone back to Sergio. Back-stepping out of the room after sharing a hug with my girl, the cool air brushing against my skin was most pleasing. Reaching for the darn thing around my chest still brought a tremble to my touch, but...

I made the right choice, yeah? It has to be. Now everyone's gonna be safe. Everyone's-

Just as I was about to convince myself of it, I caught sight the darn thing blinking again! The phone that was torn out of that bomb has came back to life! The screen showed the same message, and it was blinking more rapidly than it ever did!

"Doom!"

"Crash!"

"Kaboom!"

* * *

The roaring sound of the explosions came from multiple areas, and the tremors got us all moving almost immediately. One of them felt extremely close by. The smiles of relief quickly changed into crushing despair as color all but vanished from everyone's cheeks. Following the faint trail of smoke that appeared, we made our way back towards the reception area. Rushing our way down the stairs, we caught sight of a commotion near the main doors as we moved.

_Badump. Badump. Badump._

Everyone scrambled forward, but my steps were sluggish. I watched as everyone went ahead, leaving behind, the only one still trembling. All the heat and the pounding came rushing back. From where I stood, a crowd of people were standing around the entrance. From the murmuring fear and chaos could be heard. Though my arms wrapped themselves around my body hoping to calm myself, it only made things worse when I'm reminded of the bomb I was still carrying.

Nevertheless, inch by inch I was moving forward, pushing my steps through the seas of people. A part of me wasn't going to let it rest, forbidding me from running away.

I need to know what happened. See it with my own eyes.

_Thud._

However, someone from the crowd had turned and knocked shoulders against me, distracting me and putting my steps to a temporary halt. The guy had a baseball cap on, and the rest of his body hidden behind a long trench coat.

"Surprising. The needs of the many, huh? How refreshing." The familiar voice snaked its way around my heart, the claw of fear wiping my mind of any thoughts. "At least we know the fail-safe worked." The guy ended, giving off a slight chuckle as he disappeared back into the museum.

_Badump. Badump. Badump._

Fail-safe?

Immediately the bomb from the supply closet flooded back into mind. Turning back and resuming my steps, I finally made my way past the many heads blocking the view of the doors.

"...no...Adele..."

The image I saw would from then on be forever etched into my memory, leaving me scarred for the rest of my life. A haunting reminder of my folly, and the burden of choice.

* * *

**Sigh. This is affecting me a lot more than I thought it would. As usual, give me your thoughts and reviews below. I'd love to hear how you feel after reading through this chapter. Keep you eyes out for the next update.**


	82. Omerta

**Author's Note:**

**Truth be told, this was one of the more difficult ones to nail down, especially after how the previous chapter ended. After much contemplation I finally decided which direction I was gonna steer towards. It'll be a strong chapter in displaying a facet of Amato that not many people, not even his friends, are aware of...**

* * *

**Chapter 81: Omerta**

When Adele came into sights, laying there on the ground motionless, I found myself overtaken by emotions as my weak steps grind to to a halt right in front of her! The dead eyes amidst her walnut hair were devoid of any light. Only after catching sight of a few red stains did I traced them to this gaping wound by the side of her abdomen, blood all but drenched the areas that weren't torn up.

"Hugh!" All of a sudden, as I bent down on my knees to get a closer look, Adele moaned out painfully as she roused into consciousness.

She's still alive! She's-!

Gently holding her by her shoulders, I realized it was only short-lived. She was hurt in more places than I thought. It wasn't just the side of the abdomen, but the side of her face, her torso and her left leg were all messed up as well. Tiny little metal ridges popped up amidst the crimson blood washed over broken skin. Adele was trying to breathe, but every time she did she coughed out a small puddle of blood on the floor. The puddles were growing bigger.

"A-Adele, I'm-" I couldn't finish my sentence. Apologizing doesn't seem to be the most appropriate thing to do right now.

"Ugh...A-Amato?" The frail girl called out my name, despite the pain it seemed to take. She seemed really out of it, her eyes barely being kept open. "W-What...h-happened? I-I remember heading for the m-main entrance...b-before the rest of the c-class...ack!" Desperately trying to figure out what had occurred, she was suddenly assaulted by pain, her right arm clamping down on her abdomen.

What is this? Is she trying to say she got hurt because she was doing her job as class president? She got caught in the blast radius because she got to the doors first?!

"Ngh...A-Amato, it's...g-getting colder..."

_Badump._

"N-No, Adele! Stay with me, you hear me?!" There and then I'm snapped out of my shock, reminded of the fact that I'm laundering what precious moments Adele had left! "C'mon, you're gonna be okay." With my hands holding her up on her back, I tried giving her some words of comfort. Even amidst the pained groans and the blood pools still growing. "Somebody, anybody! Call for help!" I screamed as my eyes looked up and to all sides. Everyone else was still in shock, and they only stood there watching with hopelessness in their expressions.

Forget it!

Annoyed by the lack of response, my mind raced for an alternative as my friends gathered around me. "Sergio, get Kiera on the line, right now! Tell her what's happening, bring Vito, and get in touch with Doctor Rosalind!"

"...S-So loud...ugh..." Just as I finished yelling out the order, Adele spoke out weakly as she brought her bloodied index finger to my lips. "I'm...g-glad you started c-calling me by m-my name, A-Amato...I've always l-l-liked...y-y-" Before she could finish her sentence with a smile, the struggling for air stopped as her eyelids slowly drooped down to a close.

"..."

Just like that, she stopped moving. I could scarcely believe what was happening before my eyes. With trembling hands I checked for breathing or a pulse, and found nothing.

"No..." I couldn't but mutter out in despair, holding back the surge of tears welling up in my eyes. At my side, Gina and the others gasped out in horror when they realized. Sergio was just screaming what I said into his phone when his eyes widened at the many reactions.

"She's dead!"

"I-It's a joke, right?"

"Aaahhh!"

A myriad of reactions from the dozens of people watching. A few girls shrieked at the top of their voices, some went into denial while others seemed to have been frozen stiff into yet another state of shock. Most of my classmates were saddened by the horrible sight.

_Badump._

"I told you guys to run! I told all of you to get out of this damned museum!" Overcome by frustration I couldn't help lashing out at everyone still watching around me, berating them into silence!

"Crack!"

"Why couldn't you all just listened?! Why couldn't you all just played it safe?!" I continued yelling, punching my bloodstained fist into the ground beside me as I glared at them all, particularly Mister Russo. My homeroom teacher could only hang his head in shame.

"Amato..." Gina muttered from my back, as she placed her hand on my shoulder for concern. When the knowledge that I still had that damned bomb around me surfaced again to haunt me, reflex drove me to shrug my shoulders and move away from her touch. "Huh?" Confused, Gina could only squeeze out a cry, meeting my distraught eyes with hers. I regretted what I did almost immediately after.

Damn it all! It's not like that! I'm just trying to keep you safe! I'm just trying to keep everyone safe!

"...and if being nice is just gonna get people killed then..." Mumbling out to myself, I did something unbelievably reckless. Getting up on my own two feet, I drew out my Legacy Arm from my satchel while everyone still had their eyes on me.

"Fenris!"

In front of everyone, the name was invoked as I raised the gun, pointing the barrel towards the ceiling. Energy pulsed from where I stood as the familiar letters formed within the jewel that was the Tear of the Fang. As strength came over me and senses sharpened, the crowd only grew that much more restless.

"Is...is that kid carrying a gun?!" Some of the public patrons of the museum exclaimed when he caught sight of Fenris.

"N-No way, first a bombing, now this?" A girl from my class in the far corner cried out in despair, once again driven into shock.

"Amato, what the heck are you trying to do?!" Sergio finally objected, calling me out from my back. It seemed as though he had enough of trying to follow what I was doing, and had instead grew restless like everyone else. He was glaring at me. Glaring at me as he would at a madman with a dangerous weapon in his hands.

"Hrongh!"

Pushing away all thoughts I pulled down on the trigger, firing a short, concentrated burst of concussive force. The shot, blasting forth in a sound reminiscent to a wolf's howl, tore a hole in the ceiling, sending tiny pieces of wood and stone raining down!

"Gah!"

"Whoa!"

"H-He's for real!"

With just that one action, everyone snapped, giving into panic as they started scrambling for the door! A few people from the crowds were scared stiff, but the others shoved and pushed, trampling over each other at the despair of everything that's happened!

"That's right, run! Get out of here, everyone of you, before I start gunning you down one by one!" Waving Fenris around as menacingly as I could, I started threatening them. If words couldn't drive them out then maybe fear would be a better choice.

"Screw this, I'm calling the police!"

"Hrongh!" As soon as I heard that I lost it, letting another shot off in the direction of the guy who said that. Of course, I wasn't planning to take his life, the force flying past the crowd and smashing into the walls past him.

"No! No police!" In my surprise I yelled out the order at the top of my voice and pointed the barrel of my gun right at him, glaring down at the poor guy as his trembling hands dropped his phone onto the ground.

I can't believe I'm doing this. No. It has to be done.

"Listen up, as Decimo of the Zanna Famiglia. I hereby invoke 'Omerta'."

With shaking fists I finally tossed out the declaration that had been on my mind ever since Adele stopped moving.

"Nobody, and I repeat, nobody, is to contact the local authorities. You understand me?!" Staring down those left, including Sergio and the others, I made sure everyone understood what I meant. Though some of my classmates remained confused, most of the adults gave me their silent consent, nodding reluctantly. "I'll take care of this myself." Finishing with those words, the people finally emptied the main halls. Those youths still frozen in fear were ushered out by the adults. Except Sergio and the others, of course.

As my emotions simmered, I started walking towards my friends, all of whom had this grim look in their eyes. My best friend had his eyes on the floor, gritting his teeth at the current predicament. Gina got startled when I reached out for her.

"I'm sorry about how I reacted before, Gina. You and the others should just get out of here and head straight home." I muttered, deciding not to press her after that reaction, turning towards Sergio instead. "Sergio, get this sorted out." I instructed, pointing towards Adele's lifeless body. "Make the necessary arrangements and...contact her family." I continued, before tightening my grip around Fenris and heading my way back into the museum.

"That's it? You're just gonna walk away after what's happened, without as much as a simple explanation?" Sergio accused, stopping me in my tracks. As I turned back to rebut, he flashed me a pair of conflicted eyes. It all but robbed me of what I wanted to say, which only made him that much more agitated. "Why the hell did you do that, Amato? I'm asking about why was there a need for you to point your gun and threaten those people?!"

"Because it's my fault that Adele died, all right?!" The sheer fault in Sergio's words struck a nerve and all I had to answer was the one sentence that kept pounding itself into my thoughts. "She had to die because I wasn't forceful enough with getting everyone to evacuate the museum even though there was a bomb set to go off! She had to die because I was gullible enough to believe that bomber's lies, which ended up triggering the fail-safe, setting off every other bomb he had set in the museum!" The ranting just kept going and going.

It ended up being more of a way for me to vent out my frustrations rather than a coherent explanation to my best friend.

"They weren't moving, even after they saw Adele die right there! I don't care if I have to do things like threaten people if it meant getting them out of the Palace safe and sound!" Slightly drained by the outburst, I nonetheless yelled out the words right until the end. It's as if I was trying to convince myself, to justify what I did despite knowing deep inside that it was no excuse.

"That's horrible..." Gina muttered out in after hearing all that I said, as if reiterating my deepest thoughts. She still wasn't looking at me, whether it was out of fear or disdain I couldn't tell.

Sergio and the others were overwhelmed by what I said. Their looks of disappointment grew into empathy, but the disbelief was always in there.

"B-But it wasn't your fault, Amato...it was that madman's." Yoko reasoned, as if she was trying to find some light to brighten my sullen mood. "You couldn't have possibly prepared for every dastardly scheme he had in store..."

"You're right. That's why I invoked the code. I'll hunt him down and kill him myself. Can't have him pulling anything else. He alone has to pay for all the blood he spilled today." Agreeing with Yoko's words, the seething emotions came back stronger than ever as I made the declaration with the bloodcurdling smile of a beast's. The power of the Awakening was barely being kept in check, spilling out energy and intent in waves. The expression was so shocking it drove the eyes of my friends to the sides. A few of the kids dodged behind their partners, which prompted Gina, Yoko and Johann to pull them away from me in an attempt to calm them down.

"Hold on a minute, isn't it reckless to go alone? I'll take care of this, but shouldn't you take Johann or Yoko with you?" Sergio suggested in a toned down voice, still too disturbed to look up.

"I didn't ask for their help." Reminding myself of the code, I gave my reply tersely, emphasizing on the point and surprising everyone present. "You know the rules, Sergio. I'm sure you do." That was all I deemed to say, despite the confused and uncertain looks. When Sergio realized my point, he looked as though he bit his own tongue for saying something necessary, before taking back the suggestion.

"Rules? What rules? What exactly are you talking about?" This time, Yoko was the one asking out the question, growing more and more restless by the second.

"'Omerta' refers to the code of silence and secrecy in which the Mafia operates under. You're not to rely on others, especially official authorities for an injustice. You're to fix the problem yourself, lest you're seen as a fool, a coward and being weak and incapable." Sergio explained as he recalled.

"Wait, he's rejecting our help because of pride? That's ridiculous!" Johann cried out when he saw how Sergio backed down, not really knowing how he should react to something so absurd.

"How can I bear the title of 'Boss' if I can't even handle a single man alone? People died because that one man's perverted actions. My People, the ones I was supposed to protect! I demand retribution. I don't need your help to achieve it. When I need it, when I have no choice but to call for reinforcements, I'll call you guys for support." I calmly explained. Nevertheless, laying it out didn't diminish how much I want to do this by myself in the slightest.

"Enough, Johann. The penalty for breaking the code is death. It is one of the many Mafia laws, and as long as you're part of the Zanna Famiglia, you have to abide by it." Sergio exclaimed, before bending down and collecting Adele's body, prepping it for transport out of the museum. Yoko and Johann had no choice but to relent, though they sorely disapproved of it.

"Sigh, nobody else will lose their lives today...especially any of you." I tossed out, distracting myself away from my vendetta for a split second as I pulled back my overshirt, revealing the damn thing still tied around my chest.

"What's that?" Zoe asked out, being the first to catch sight of it.

"A bomb, apparently made out of 'high explosives'. Stronger than any of the bombs that had already went off." I replied, relieved that I could finally get that fact off of my chest and out into the open. "The trigger is in that man's hands. You can't just go prying it off either." I continued amidst the questioning looks. Even Gina finally looked up, her eyes looking scared and tired.

"You had that thing around you all this while, even when everything was happening?" She muttered out in disbelief, before shutting her eyes to the sides and shaking her head as if she was stricken with worry. Everyone else seemed to share her same reaction. It brought down the mood of the situation a notch lower than it already was.

"Yes." I gave them the one word for an answer, before I turned back towards the corridors. Back into the palace. "Now you know why I must do this alone." I continued, before the sight of Gina's worried look locked me in my steps.

"Gina, I'm sorry you had to see all of this. How I acted today. Go home, and I promise, tomorrow I'll go back to being the guy you remember. Who always wears a smile on his face." Giving her what assurance I could, a final glance showed me her uncertain nod to my words.

"I give you my word." I ended the promise with an affirmation as my friends headed out the door, with Adele's body in Sergio's hands. The word of a Mafioso is a powerful thing, and about all I can give to my girlfriend right now. I could only hope she accepts it.

The wolf empowering my every step, I lunged straight for the room with the many monitors, thirsting for vengeance.

* * *

When my steps took me to the same room hidden in the upper floors, a series of cries from the beyond the door threw me into silence. My senses were screaming, homing in on the sound of brawling, the cracking of bones and the cries of pain. Not to mention, the air was slowly growing thick with the scent of blood and sweat. Gently twisting open the door into the room, the first thing I saw was numerous bodies, lifeless and sprawled across the floor.

Wary because of the sight, I sneak into the room only to come face-to-face with Flint, who was leaning against the corner of the console for support. A dagger in hand and blood trickling down the side of his mouth. I walked into the room expecting an ambush, but the sea of bodies boggles the mind.

What the heck happened in here, In-fighting? Was there fallout amongst the group?

Whatever it was, it made everything that much easier. Stomping my way towards the madman, Flint's eyes lid up as soon as he caught sight of me, and a creepy smile appeared on his face. Despite my intent to kill him staring him down, Flint only had this to say.

"Hah...hah...hah...showtime."

* * *

**Well there you guys have it. It seems Amato is more accustomed to the Mafia ways than some of you might have thought. Can you guys accept Amato's behavior? Or do you reject and hate him for acting like that? Give me your thoughts in your reviews below, and I'll read them as I craft out the next chapter for this arc! As usual, keep your eyes out for the next chapter update!**


	83. The Codes That Makes Us

**Author's Note:**

**Research turned up way more data than I initially expected. The Mafia is thick with tradition, rituals, code of conducts and many more, which binds them and differs them from your usual organized crime group. Of course, my story doesn't need to be true to whatever source material there is out there on Mafiosi, but it's a neat idea to have them nonetheless.**

* * *

**Chapter 82: The Codes That Makes Us**

**Inner Feelings.**

The winds of fate must really loathe Lord Amato. The day his class were there in the Doge's Palace for an excursion was the day explosives were set to go off. Gazing out the window and admiring the people in the streets turning away from us as we zipped by, I couldn't help but blame myself for putting Lord Amato at risk like that. Especially after that fiasco in the morning, I should have stayed and secured the perimeter, scanned the whole palace from top to bottom.

Unfortunately, the eying presence of the police meant none of that. Still, I should have stayed.

As the ride came to a smooth stop, I stepped out onto the asphalt road in my outdoor uniform. It bore similar designs to the uniform I use at home, with but minor modifications; leather boots, sleeves straightened and lengthened and the absence of a skirt, replaced by a pair of more movement-oriented pants made the whole outfit feel more like a suit than anything else.

As the rest of the contingent followed, my gaze fell upon the refurbished building in the distance. It stands as a testament of history for the city of Venice. To think it would end up a target for such acts of terror!

"The usual protocol, Kiera?" Dante asked out as he came to my side, eyes watching our surroundings like a hawk before moving to the trunk of the limousine. Priming our men with their necessary instruments, they lined up and awaited my command.

"Kaboom!"

A distanced explosion went off with a cloud of smoke rising from the main entrance of the Doge's Palace, catching us all by surprise! Immediately, another part of my heart sank and quivered as chaos spilled into my thoughts! Nevertheless, the emotions were pushed back for there was no time for distraction right now!

"Yes, let's move! Secure the perimeter, prep for extraction!"

At the very least, that was the plan. We took a few minutes allocating guards and redirecting the public, keeping them away from the Palace at all costs, when all of a sudden a sea of people flooded out of the main gates, weeping and flustered. The were pale-faced and ridden with shock. When one of the recognizable faces showed himself, I made my way towards him with haste, hoping for answers to all that's happening.

"Mister Russo! Mister Russo, if you could just lend me a moment of your time? I don't see Lord Amato amongst those making their way out of the Palace. Do you have any idea where he is?" I asked out, meeting the droning expression on his face. He perked up as soon as I mentioned Lord Amato, however.

"Y-You're asking about him? Why? Who are you?" For some reason, the man grew wary, as if reminded of an experience he would have rather forgotten.

"Ahem." I cleared my throat while calming my thoughts. Amato seemed to have instigated something within the palace. His homeroom teacher must have caught wind of it. Does it have something to do with the Famiglia? That would explain the fear eroding away at the man's expression. "You...could say we're like family to Amato. We were scheduled for a trip to the Doge's Palace, but there seems to be something wrong. Please, we need to know if Amato is okay." I gave out the explanation and the plead as soon as it came into mind, referring him to the various instrument cases we had on hand.

At times like this I'm forever grateful for the inventors of the olden days. Shaped after various string instrument cases, the public eye will never suspect that these guitar, cello and violin cases harbored shotguns, tommy guns and other lethal armaments. For their sake, I hope they never deem a need to open up one of our 'instruments'.

"O-Oh, I see...you're musicians...right, I don't know what I was thinking. I apologize for before." Mister Russo exclaimed as he calmed himself down, seemingly taken in by my words. "There were bombs, you see. They went off without warning-" He started rambling, before shutting up as a regretful look washed over his eyes. "A-Anyway, just trust me when I say you don't want to head into the Palace right now! Also, you'd be safer if you break all ties with the boy you knew as Amato Zanna!" He finished off with a warning before losing himself to panic and disappearing into the streets.

"That's not a good sign." Dante commented, before looking back towards the Palace.

"..." I had neither the reason nor the words to deny what Dante had just said, only growing more and more distraught.

What exactly did Lord Amato do in there?

"No matter, we're going in!" I roared, spurred on by worry.

"Wait, Kiera!" Just as I hauled a case of my own in hand, lining up alongside the men of the Zanna Famiglia, a familiar voice stopped us in our tracks.

Sergio appeared from the courtyard of the palace, crying out and making a dash towards us as soon as his eyes caught sight of me. Johann, Yoko and Miss Conti followed in his steps, along with a number of elementary school students. In Sergio's hands was that of a lifeless-looking girl unmoving. Wounds riddled along her pale skin, stained with blood. When my eyes looked towards Sergio on the intent of asking who and what, he responded by shutting both eyes as he turned to the sides.

In other words, she's already dead.

"Oi, Endoh! Why the hell are you carrying a dead body with you?! Where the hell is Amato?!" From behind me, Vito suddenly lashed out at Sergio as he handed the body over to some of the men who specialized in handling casualties. He was just about to turn away and give the details of the girl to the men, when Vito pulled him back, rather forcibly if I might add.

He's right, I don't see Lord Amato anywhere. Don't tell me he wasn't with them when they made their way out?

"Shitk."

Just as I was about to speak, a sword was drawn from its sheathe. All of the men were agitated by the sight of the black blade, but my command was given out just in time to stop them from open firing on the guy raising it against Vito. Even Vito himself, who saw the weapon coming, realized the guy was only doing it because of how afraid, how disoriented and how upset he was.

"...please...don't talk about President Adele like that..." Johann whimpered, his shoulders shaking with every word. Even so, his blade remained ever steady in his grip, the mark of a master swordsman showing despite the emotional trauma. It wasn't just him either. Sergio, Yoko and Miss Conti all bore the same distracted looks, zoning out from where they stood every few seconds.

"President...Adele?" I couldn't help but add on to his words inquisitively. There was a need for caution, even in regards to the words being said, because it seemed as though Sergio and the others might snap if we were to push.

After spending a few moments collecting his thoughts, Sergio broke out of his stupor with a staunch look of determination before getting Johann to lower his weapon.

"Adele Sienna is-was the name of the girl that was our class president. The girl who got to close too one of the bombs as it went off, and ended up dying because of it." Sergio gave out after a few seconds of silence, as his eyes looked to the corpse being transported away, his voice quivering as he touched on the cause of the girl's death. It must be terribly difficult for him to even draw it out from memory. "Amato ordered me to take care of Adele's...body. We made our way out of the palace soon after that."

"You left him alone in there?" I asked out, barely holding back the slight agitation I got from the notion.

"No! It wasn't because we don't want to, but because we weren't allowed to." Sergio replied, denying my accusation with an immediate protest. He seemed just as annoyed as I was, before his shoulders shifted and sagged and started his explanation.

* * *

"Bah ha ha ha! He's gone and done it now! Sealed himself to his fate by denying any outside help!" Vito was the first to react after Sergio finished with his explanation, breaking out in his incessant laughter while the rest of us could only look to the palace with uncertainty. Torn between the choice of abiding to the code of silence, or to ignore Amato's orders and give him the support he needs.

"Why...why did Lord Amato do that?" I couldn't help muttering to myself in denial.

"Why? Because he's an inexperienced, overconfident little twit!" Vito answered with a slew of insults, spitting them out as if he was just yearning to make his thoughts known, earning him a glare. To my shocking surprise, none of the men with us had anything to rebut. "Oh, you're not happy with what I'm saying?" Vito went on, seemingly spurred by my reaction.

"Look beyond your petty little crush on him, Kiera! Then you'll see that he's just a naive, emotional and reckless kid who just got his hand on some power that he himself probably doesn't even understand!" He ranted as he paced around and turned to the others, his point flushing my cheeks despite me burning up in anger. "That's right, I'm saying this kid's the boss only because of his blood and the work of his predecessors, that he practically got his throne handed to him! He's no boss-material...but he is a Mafioso. We all know he has stained his hand in blood, that there's no running away or going back to being a normal kid. Not anymore." Vito continued, his words slowly rallying the men to his side, to his view of the situation.

Sergio and the others, even those elementary school children hiding behind them, were shocked by what was said. Their complexion darkened upon hearing Vito proclaim the fact that Amato has killed before. It should have been expected, but I suppose it would have been difficult to believe Amato a killer if they weren't there to see it for themselves.

"And thus, he must live by our codes, abide by our laws. For without the rules that guides us, what are we but petty criminals..." Even Dante, who was silent throughout our argument, saw the logic in Vito's words and agreed, adding on to his words with those that makes us who we are. It was almost as if he speaking in reflection of himself.

He's right. They're both right. I know all of that...but...

"...he'll die." I muttered out in a soft voice, hoping no one would pick it up. Not even myself.

"Then so be it. It would simply mean the end of the Zanna Famiglia." Vito tossed out nonchalantly, almost as if he was already mentally prepared for such a tragedy. My eyes widened with shock when I realized just how little he thought of the Famiglia, the only place that took him in so many years ago. The only place he could call home.

My mind was clouded with worry, but I was also in deep contemplation. Vito didn't say all of that without reason. When was the last time I could say I had full confidence in Amato in regards to whatever he was doing? Should I be this worried over the Boss of the Zanna Famiglia? Fretting over his safety whenever calamity strikes? What does that say about his own capabilities as Boss, as a Mafioso, and a man of conduct?

It is exactly as Vito proclaimed. I had always let my emotions rule over my judgment when it came to Amato, always seeing him as who I wished him to be and not who he truly is...

"Heh. You've been wanting to get that out of you ever since you got back, didn't you?" The chaotic torrent of thoughts and emotions cleared as I got my priorities straight, throwing Vito a rhetorical question his way. I must have hit the nail on his head, because the Zanna Famiglia-appointed medic had no retort, only looking to the sides as he flustered in silence.

"You're right. You're absolutely right. Who am I to deny a Mafioso-no, the Boss the honor of taking out his mark? As you said, if he fails, it will only bring to light the fact that Lord Amato is arrogant, weak and vulnerable. Incapable of fulfilling his own promises, and unfit for the position of 'Boss'."

"Sigh, if he dies, then it will mark the end of the Zanna Famiglia, as per our laws." I finally declared after a pause, a notion everyone seemed to have agreed upon, no matter how horrible it was.

Locked in silence and stagnancy brought forth by Omerta, we of the Zanna Famiglia were lost. As my mind raced for our best options, a certain sound rang off in the distance. A sound no one in the Zanna Famiglia would ever deigned themselves happy to hear.

The galloping of horses were slowly cross-faded with the shrill sound of sirens going off. They were to be expected, but I didn't fathom they would arrive so soon! Immediately everyone started moving, but we were too late. From the streets, the Polizia di Stato of Venice appeared. Men on mighty stallions cleared the streets, ushering the way for the police cars and their trucks. Before long, the ever familiar march of the state police's elite units appeared, the black parade alongside the heavily armed anti-terrorism unit.

"Tch! The Divisione Investigazioni Generali e Operazioni Speciali, the Nucleo Operativo Centrale di Sicurezza _and _the Raggruppamento Operativo Speciale of the Arma dei Carabinieri?!" Vito exclaimed with a mouthful, his fingers instinctively reaching out for his spetsnaz daggers before stopping as the whole of the contingent; All two dozen men or so, side-stepped into formation.

"It looks like somebody's been busy. Why didn't we hear anything about this?!" Dante cried out in frustration, his eyes staring down on the sea of uniformed men flooding in around us. He must be referring to the moles within the forces, of which we received no word. He was on edge, and who could blame him? The police outnumbered us five to one.

"So what are your new orders, Valkyrie?" One of the men asked out in a soft murmur as he lowered his lips to my side, for fear of the police catching wind of our conversation. There's too much heat! It caught me by surprise, and all thought processes grind to a halt as the groups of men sealed off the areas surrounding the Doge's Palace, trapping us behind the marked tapes as well!

"For now, stay your weapons and give no signs that you're Mafiosi! You all know the code!" I commanded, not just to the men at my side, but to the various groups I sent to secure the perimeter through a personalized radio transmitter/receiver Dante crafted sitting behind the ears. Signaling Sergio and the others back and conceal Miss Conti and the kids as best he could, I looked back to the overwhelming numbers of the police force.

Each of the men stood stoic in their duty, their faces hidden behind their masks and helmets. That was one of the reasons why they seemed so daunting. They looked more artificial than human.

"We shall wait, and allow none of these Polizia hounds into the Palace! I expect each of you to stave off ten of them, but none of you are allowed to fall lest the Boss weeps and mourns tonight!" I declared, hoping to rally the men as I took a stance. A subtle one but a stance nonetheless, dropping the double-bass case holding my machine-gun beside my feet.

"Polizia hounds, huh? Quite the name." A deep, booming voice retorted from behind the line of policemen, before they shifted to the sides with uncanny synchronization. From the space appeared a man dressed in a long, black coat, bearing the visage wizened by age and experience. His white hair were offset by the charcoal black patch over his left eye and the scars running out of the edges.

"Sir? Chief? What are you doing?! You don't need to be in the front lines like this!" One of the officers stumbled forth, breaking formation to persuade the man back, only to have him retreat with but a wave and a glare.

The Chief-of-Police? What's the head of the entire Polizio di Stato doing here?!

After receiving a beep from his walkie-talkie, the man's snake eye sharpened. With a soft whisper into the piece of equipment, his teeth closed to prevent me from reading his lips, the waves of men charged forth! The grunts in navy blue, those officers of the state police lunged at our group with pistols primed, taser-guns charged and batons waving!

"Augh!"

Collective cries of pain went off as the groups was halted, thrown to the ground and disarmed in an instant! All I did was watch for openings and striking fast at those aiming for us, twisting an arm behind the man's back and breaking the gun by smashing it into the ground before kicking him and sending him stumbling and crashing face-first into the asphalt! Vito and Dante kept their side in the clear with clean strikes as well, assaults into the police officers' necks and their solar-plexus, before ultimate locking their movements by overstretching out their tendons.

With his men swiftly brought down, the menacing chief stepped forth once more. Only after attending to those in pain did he send them back into file with a click of his tongue, before turning back to us more crossed than ever.

"Kiera De Luca, Vito Angelo and Dante Ignazio. Our files have little info on you despite the high-priority placed on your heads. If I might ask, may I know why you would obstruct our officers from carrying out their duties in the name of justice?" He asked out with composure, though each of his words bore weight.

"I have no idea what you're referring to, chief-of-police. We're merely musicians having our sectionals out in the courtyard, warming up before heading in for our performance. It seems to me it's your men who keeps barging into our practice." I replied with as straight a face as I could, picking up the case at my feet just as another wave of men sprang forth aiming to incapacitate us!

"Crack!"

Blood spewed forth from the poor man's lips as the officer was slammed in the face with the base of my 'instrument' case! After the second wave was thwarted, the chief stepped up again, as if he was trying to wear us down and make us talk.

Hah, he must not know the Mafia as well as he should!

"I see what you're doing. Omerta, huh?" All of a sudden, he casually muttered out the name of our code as if he just read my mind. As soon as he realized it, the droves of armed men stopped. "No one is to disturb whatever that's happening inside the palace, is that it?"

"Tsk!" I couldn't help but bite down on my lips after hearing him. Perhaps the title of Chief was rightly earned after all...

"No, it can't be!" Before we resumed the showdown between both forces, one of the more elderly member of the Zanna Famiglia cried out in denial. His eyes widened as hit struck by a painful revelation, his arms trembling as he stumbled back in his steps! "Pent-Pentito!" He screamed as if he's just seen the devil, slipping to the grip of terror.

Pentito?! Those ones who 'repented', betrayed the mafia and works with the police?

"Where?!" I roared out at the poor man, overtaken by the rush of adrenaline. I expected to see one of our moles having turned to the side of law, only to catch sight of the elderly man pointing towards the Chief! The black garbed devil was the one who was inciting such intense fear in the guy! "...who the hell are you?" I couldn't help asking out as I lost all composure at the madness of what was happening, the swear slipping out in the confusion.

"To think he's now the chief-of-police! The only man to ever betray the Zanna Famiglia, and lived because of his sheer tenacity alone.." The man who was just frozen in fear, started reading out his words like a passage.

"...his name is Baldassere Salvaggi, also known as King Savage-the right hand of the Zanna Ottavo!"

* * *

**There's trouble for the Zanna Famiglia, it seems. Brought on by one of their own from the past! While Amato struggles with the situation inside the Palace, a face-off between the Zanna Famiglia and the police explodes right outside! As usual, give me your thoughts in your reviews below, and keep your eyes out for the next update to find out what's gonna happen next!**

**P.S. Glossary – If some of the Italian terms and names felt necessary, don't be afraid to tell it to me in your reviews!**

**Below entails some of the forms of law enforcement in Italy employed in this chapter.**

_**Polizia di Stato**_ – State Police. One of the national police forces of Italy. A civil force. Spearheads patrol duties and works alongside the Arma dei Carabinieri.

_**Divisione Investigazioni Generali e Operazioni Speciali**_ - General Investigations and Special Operations Division. Known by its acronym DIGOS, it is an arm of the state police charged with handling sensitive cases such as terrorism, organized crimes as well as major offenses such as kidnapping and extortion. They have men specially trained for keeping a constant eye on national soil, constantly watching for any signs of crime growing from social unrest, political underground movements and sports-related violence phenomenons.

_**Nucleo Operativo Centrale di Sicurezza**_ - Central Operational Core of Security AKA the State Police's Elite SWAT unit. Known by its acronym NOCS, it is an arm of the state police charged with providing the on-field firepower and training to combat crime-operations and terrorist groups. They are proficient and known for their martial arts, HALO training(military free-falling), EOD training(bomb disposal) and SCUBA training. They have also trained with some of the most elite international units.

_**Arma dei Carabinieri**_ – Arm of Carabiniers. One of the four Italian Armed Forces. A military force. Polices both military and civilian populations, working alongside the Polizia di Stato.

_**Raggruppamento Operativo Speciale**_ - Special Operations Group AKA the Military Police's investigative arm and anti-organized crime/terrorism unit. Known by its acronym ROS, its main investigative service centers around dealing with organized crime, drugs and kidnapping as well as analysis. Their operations mainly entails undercover investigations, infiltrating gangs to investigate about narcotics, kidnapping, money laundering, and smuggling of arms, ammunition and explosives.

**Also, the terms and meaning of some of the Codes and Conduct upheld by Mafiosi that were mentioned in this chapter, including a deeper look into the one brought up from the chapter before.**

_**Pentito**_ – He who has repented.

The proper term for them is actually _collaboratori di giustizia_(collaborators with justice). These men are those who willingly betrays their Famiglias and collaborates with authoritative figures upon arrest, breaking _Omerta _and earning the scorn of his previous comrade-in-arms. They have become a pivotal part in the investigations into organized crimes and according to the Italian judicial system, they are able to obtain new name, new life and even personal protection from the police. This is mainly because the act of betrayal prompts his Famiglia to hunt down not just him, but all those related to him. This is also one of the reasons why a _Pentito_ usually escapes abroad for the safety of his own life.

_**Omerta**_ – The Code of Silence.

Never talk to authorities. That is the one rule all Mafiosi, no matter how corrupted, would willingly adhere to. It is a code of honor that protects the well-being of the Famiglia as a whole, strengthened by the deep-rooted sense of loyalty within Mafia society. To seek help from the authorities would mean the Mafiosi is too weak to handle his own problems, losing him respect, reputation and influence, key traits to ensure his Famiglia stays in power within his territory. It would also incite rebellions as well as wars between Famiglias because it shows the member as vulnerable, especially so when concerning a high-ranking member. The public of Italy also willingly adheres to such a code, for those who employs the service of Mafiosi for protection would not want the protection gone. This is one of the reasons why the Italian organized crime groups still persists despite centuries of efforts to wipe them out.


End file.
